For Better Or Worse
by DemetriaFeels
Summary: Sometimes in life, we make mistakes. It's up to you to decide if they're for better or worse. Mitchie/Alex pairing. Femslash. Don't like, don't read. Rating: M.
1. I Promise, It's Not Spiked

**Inspired by a dream I had. Story started writing itself in my head. Couldn't ignore it. Same thing happened for **_**We'll Never Be More Than This**_**. That ended up being my favorite story. So I knew I really needed to write this. Totally unplanned. This is actually a prequel to the real story that formed in my head. But that story requires quite a lot of background information. So this story is being written solely for the purpose of writing the sequel. Enjoy.**

**Rating: M (trust me, M for a reason); Pairing: Mitchie/Alex; Somewhat OOC and AU.**

**Femslash. Girlxgirl. Don't like? Don't read.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place or Camp Rock (or Twilight).**

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Mitchie Torres was always the good girl. Straight-A student, and in all advanced classes. In the hallways at school, she would most likely be seen with her nose in a book. She had few friends, only one in fact, but it didn't bother her much. She was more focused on her studies. See, her family wasn't exactly the richest. Actually, they barely had enough money to send her to summer camp. So she knew she had to get spectacular grades in order for her to get a full-paid scholarship to the college of her choosing. Heck, any college.

She even applied for a job to earn extra cash. That's not unusual for a teenager, a sixteen year old, to be exact. Most teenagers get jobs for a little extra spending money, to buy those all important CDs or the newest _Twilight_ movie on DVD or the latest fashion nonsense. Mitchie wasn't a normal teenager, though. Every single cent she got from her job was put into a college savings fund that she set up herself at the age of twelve. At the time, the only job she could get was babysitting for the neighbors after school and on the weekends, but still every penny went into that account. When she was old enough, she applied for a job at a local burger stand called Barney's Burgers, where they sell burgers with a Barney smile. And on her days off, she would still babysit.

Every now and then, though, Mitchie would dip into the account. She would take out only as much as she needed. And she wouldn't spend it on clothes−her mother bought her clothes. She didn't need it to buy more books−she received an allowance from her parents, and that was enough to buy her a new book whenever she needed one; plus, that's what libraries are for. No, the only thing Mitchie spent her hard-earned money on was something involving music.

Music was Mitchie's passion. She loved singing and playing guitar and piano. You might say it was the only normal teenage thing she did, but that wouldn't be accurate. Yes, many teens do enjoy music as a hobby. But it wasn't a hobby for Mitchie. It was a dream, a desire. When she wasn't doing homework or working some poorly-paying job, Mitchie was working on her music. Over the years, she had acquired enough equipment to have her own recording studio right there in her bedroom. She would play the guitar and the piano and sing songs she wrote all on her own. As for the bass, there was a guy at school she paid to come over just to record that part of the song. She couldn't really call him a friend, even if he was at her house more than Sierra (her one friend); he was just a person that helped her to record her music. And as for drums, she didn't know anyone who played drums. So she had to buy a drum machine and use pre-recorded beats. It brought down the quality of her songs most of the time, but it was all she had. And the only thing that made her feel better about spending her college money was the fact that she was spending it on music. And since she planned to go to college to study music, the money was still technically used for college.

Not only did Mitchie act like a good girl, but she also dressed like one. Her brown hair was long and always straight. It fell a few inches past her shoulders and her bangs were cut the perfect length. They were never in her eyes. And her clothes were never revealing. She wore plain colors, nothing too bright to attract much attention. Nothing she owned had sequins or anything that would sparkle in the light. She didn't own a single pair of heels. The young girl had been a klutz all her life, so being any higher off the ground that her normal 5'2" was a death wish. Mostly she wore fashionable, yet modest boots.

Mitchie never really took risks. She played by the rules and stayed in her safe, protective, little world. But keeping up the good girl image and trying to be perfect all the time could get tiring. Mitchie had dreams of being something more than what she was: the good, local girl that was most likely going to be valedictorian when she graduated in her senior year. Sure, the idea was nice, but she had bigger goals. She wanted to pursue a music career. If it was successful, the money made could help her to pay for school. Which is why she took an interest in Camp Rock. Unfortunately, the summer music camp was extremely expensive, and her parents could not swing it.

But she begged and pleaded, knowing in her gut it was important for her to go. She wasn't sure why, but she had this instinct that fate wanted her to be there. She knew that no matter what happened there, it would change her life forever. However, fate did not seem on her side. Even if her parents emptied their bank account, there was no way they could afford to send her. So Mitchie attended her last day of sophomore year very much down in the dumps. Then at work at Barney's, she almost cried, knowing she'd be spending her entire summer serving fattening food to rude customers and getting boogers wiped on her by the neighborhood children she would watch on her days off. It was the most depressing thought ever.

When work was over, she returned home. She was sad, but her parents seemed giddy. This upset her very much until her dad was no longer able to contain his excitement for his daughter. He made his wife reveal the news that yes, Mitchie would be going to Camp Rock that summer. Connie, Mitchie's mother, owned a catering service that was chosen to feed the attendants of the summer music camp. Mitchie would have to help in the kitchen, but she would be able to go to Camp Rock because her mother was receiving a discount. Mitchie went wild with excitement, feeling that her dreams were coming true.

As soon as Mitchie and Connie arrived at Camp Rock, however, the teenage girl discovered she was getting a little more than she'd bargained for. These kids−campers− could all afford to come here, and it barely made a dent in their parents' bank accounts. These young, talented musicians were the best of the best because their parents could hire the best music teachers in the world. Mitchie learned to play guitar from her father and piano from her grandfather−before he died, that is. She'd had no professional training for her voice, only having raw, natural talent. What made her think she could compete with these kids? Camp Rock wasn't a place where you just blend into the background like at high school. You had to stand out. Her normal tendencies weren't going to cut it. She couldn't simply study into all hours of the night, like she did in order to make those straight A's. She had to show what she had and make a name for herself. That was the only way to make friends and fit in, to make other people envy her.

So she rejected the friendship of Caitlyn Geller, whom was so nice and easy to get along with, and bowed at the feet of Tess Tyler, daughter of a world famous singer. She made up a crazy, wild story about her fake life, with a mother that was the president of some record company in China. Meanwhile, she got to know Shane Gray, a spoiled pop star that was trying to shake his 'bad boy' reputation by spending the summer as a counselor at Camp Rock. Mitchie was so honored that a big somebody like Shane would pay attention to a little nobody like her. But then her whole scheme fell apart when Tess discovered Mitchie had been lying the entire time. Everyone in camp then rejected her, including Shane. Yet, there was one person who did stick by her−Caitlyn, whom Mitchie should have been friends with from the beginning. After Tess caused more drama, getting Mitchie and Caitlyn banned from Final Jam (a music competition held after lessons have been completed about mid-summer), the girls had to do some quick thinking in order for Mitchie to still be able to sing. And when she did, Shane came running back to Mitchie. Apparently, he'd heard a mystery girl singing and had been trying to find her all summer. Wouldn't you know it, that girl was Mitchie!

So all was forgotten, and Shane asked Mitchie on a canoe ride date. She agreed to go, and they had a wonderful time. Shane was a complete gentleman, and to Mitchie, nothing could be more romantic than a canoe ride in the moonlight. But the ride had to be cut short, because there was to be a celebration party that night in Shane's cabin, hosted by him and the two other members of his band (Connect 3), Jason and Nate. This one party ended up drastically changing Mitchie's future.

* * *

Mitchie leaned against one of the tables that had been brought in for the party, crossed her arms over her chest, and sighed. Shane had asked her during the canoe ride to be his date for the party, and she'd accepted, but if she'd known that it would mean standing by herself by the snack table, she would have reconsidered. As soon as they walked in the door, Shane's hand released hers, and he was pulled into the center of the crowd of dancers. She hadn't seen him since.

That had been an hour ago, she realized as she checked the time on her phone. Anger boiled inside her. She thought he had changed over the summer and that he wasn't the inconsiderate jerk he'd been at the start of camp. Well, apparently she'd been wrong.

Tears stung her deep brown eyes, forming from the pain of yet more rejection and humiliation. Hadn't she had enough of that this summer−and her whole life, too? Maybe this was Shane's way of getting back at her for lying to him-and everyone else. This whole party might be a plot to get revenge on Mitchie, for all she knew.

Deciding she didn't want to stick around to wait and see if her suspicions were true, Mitchie pushed off the table and made her way to the door. She knew Caitlyn was probably looking for her, anyway; she hadn't gotten the chance to see her since Shane had asked her to the pond.

Goosebumps erupted on her skin in the cool night air. It was the middle of summer, so you'd think it would be warm, especially since they were in the woods of Mississippi. Yet Mitchie was still shivering, wrapping her arms around herself as she walked away from the cabin that was shaking because the music within was so loud.

"Mitchie! Wait up!" She heard a voice behind her call out.

Mitchie stopped dead in her tracks at the recognition of the voice. Setting her jaw tightly, she spun around on her heal just in time to see Shane Gray jogging up to her, his dark, straightened hair bouncing with each step.

"Where are you going?" The young pop star asked, finally reaching his date for the night. "The party's just getting started."

"I'm going back to my cabin," Mitchie said, trying to put as much venom in her voice as possible.

Shane's dark, thick eyebrows drew together in confusion. "What, why?"

"Because ever since we've gotten here you've done nothing but ignore me!" A single tear fell from Mitchie's eye and slid down her cheek. "Were you _trying_ to hurt me, or something?"

"Of course not, Mitchie!" Shane exclaimed, taking a step forward and grasping the girl's hand. "I'm sorry I haven't been paying attention to you, but I'm the host of the party. I have to talk to everyone. You know how it is."

No, she didn't know how it was. Mitchie had never hosted a party before in her life. But she was pretty sure that just because you were the host didn't mean you had to completely ditch your date. And she was about to say so when she was stopped suddenly by Shane's eyes. They were such a deep shade of brown and seemed to sparkle in the moonlight. He was giving her that look that Mitchie had grown accustomed to seeing over the summer. It made her feel good, like she was the only thing that mattered in his world.

"You're right. I'm sorry; I'm being a fool," Mitchie said, thankful that it was dark and he couldn't see her blush.

"I'm sorry, too." Shane squeezed her hand. "I really should be trying harder to pay attention to you. Tell ya what, for the rest of the night, I'm totally yours. No one else's."

Mitchie couldn't help but smile at the thought of being the center of the most popular guy in camp's attention for the rest of the night. "Really?"

The boy nodded, smiling as well. It was a smile that made millions of girls' hearts melt. "Really."

And with that, Shane led Mitchie back to his cabin, and back into the party. The music was so loud and the bass was so high, it made Mitchie's ribcage shake. The atmosphere was so different from anything she'd ever experienced, and it made her slightly nervous. But she tried to shake off the feeling as she let Shane lead her into the center of the dance floor.

All around her, there were people dancing. Couples were all over the place, grinding on each other or dry humping. Having lived the sheltered life she had, this made Mitchie very uncomfortable, but she said nothing, not wanting to appear a prude, even if she was a prude.

Shane placed his hands on her hips and pulled her closer to him, bringing her to attention. She let out a nervous laugh and rested her hands on his shoulders. The pop star instantly began to sway to the music, effortlessly. Mitchie, on the other hand, had no sense of rhythm whatsoever. She tried to move with Shane as least awkwardly as possible, but the harder she tried, the worse she danced. Being in the middle of all these people, she felt self conscious. To her, it was as if all eyes were on the girl in the middle of the dance floor, with the most amazing guy ever, that had no business being there−her.

Shane seemed to sense her discomfort. When the song ended, he brought his hands up to his shoulders and grabbed her hands. Squeezing them in a comforting manner, he asked, "Would you like a drink?"

"Yes, please!" She shouted over the beginning of the next song.

Shane nodded and placed a quick kiss on her cheek before disappearing into the crowd. Mitchie's nerves only worsened with his absence. She didn't know what to do with herself. All the people around her were busy dancing, occasionally bumping into her. She grimaced as she was tossed this way and that, other people's sweat being wiped on her with every nudge. But she didn't want to move because she didn't know if Shane would be able to find her when he got back.

After what seemed like forever, Shane returned, finding Mitchie in almost the exact spot he'd left her, her arms placed firmly to her sides, a look of discomfort on her face, which Shane didn't seem to notice.

"Having fun?" He asked Mitchie with a grin, handing her a plastic red cup, filled to the brim with a crimson, sweet-looking liquid.

She resisted the urge to shake her head _no_; instead she smiled. "Oh, yeah. I'm having a blast."

"Good." Shane smiled and took a sip of his punch. Mitchie did the same, her reflexes making her spit the drink right back into the cup. It tasted nothing like she'd expected it to. Shane frowned. "What's the matter?"

Mitchie wiped her mouth, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "This doesn't taste like any punch I've ever had." She looked at the cup skeptically. "You don't think anyone spiked it, do you?"

"Mitchie, don't be ridiculous." Shane sighed. "This isn't a normal party. It's a party at a summer camp. All the bags are checked before kids are even allowed in their cabins. There is no way someone could have smuggled in alcohol."

This did make sense, but did not explain the funny taste of the drink, or the odd behavior of her peers. Sure, the campers were known to dance whenever they could, but she'd never seen them be this rowdy before.

She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, especially when Shane put his arm around her, pulling her close. He put his face right next to hers, his hot breath hitting her lips. She could smell something that definitely resembled the scent of alcohol. But a second later, Shane's lips were on hers, and all suspicions went out the window. His lips were a bit dry and rough against hers, but Mitchie just figured it was because she was too wound up to let herself enjoy it. When she felt his tongue try to enter her mouth, though, she pulled away in shock.

Shane gave her a weird look then, one she'd never seen before. He quickly glanced at the cup in her hand, then back to her face.

"You should drink," he said with a smile. "You must be thirsty from all that dancing. I know I am." As if to prove his point, he lifted his own cups to his lips, tilted his head back, and downed the entire beverage in one gulp. Once he'd swallowed, he let out a satisfied sigh and licked his lips. Then, he looked at her expectantly.

Mitchie knew then that she had a choice to make. She could follow her gut and leave, but then Shane would probably hate her and turn the whole camp against her, again. And she still had a month left of camp to go, where she could do whatever she wanted since classes were done, but that wouldn't be any fun if everyone hated her. The second option was that she could go against her better judgment and just go with the flow tonight. Looking at Shane, she figured she had about five more seconds to make her decision. Her eyes locked with his and she went weak in the knees. Oh, what the heck. She was responsible every other night of her life. Tonight, she would just let go.

She quickly brought the plastic cup to her lips, drinking the bitter yet sweet liquid as fast as she could manage. The last mouthful was particularly hard to swallow, and she wanted to spit it out, but once glance at her date and she found the energy to choke it down.

"That's my girl." Shane gave her a toothy grin and patted her on the back. "I'll go get us some refills," he said, taking the cup from her hand.

"No thanks, I'm-" Shane was already moving through the crowd- "fine.." She trailed off, slightly irritated. Running a hand through her brown hair, she stayed in the same spot once again. Her mouth still tasted like the punch, and she couldn't get the taste out of it, no matter how many times she swallowed.

Looking through the mass of bodies, she saw Shane standing by the drink table, two drinks in his hands. He was talking to Tess, Mitchie's rival. They were standing awfully close and Shane was giving Tess that smile−the one he gave to Mitchie that made her feel so damn special. Tess leaned in close to Shane and put her hand on his arm, laughing at something he said that probably wasn't even funny.

Jealousy flowed through her body and settled in the pit of her stomach, upsetting it. As someone passed by with one of those red cups, she grabbed it from his hand and immediately started drinking from it. Shane wanted her to drink the punch so badly well fine, she would drink the blasted punch!

When Shane finally made his way back to Mitchie, he found her with her arms crossed, tapping her foot.

"Hey, I got your-" he stopped when he saw a cup in one of her hands. "Oh, you already have a-"

Mitchie quickly downed the rest of the drink, tossed the plastic red cup over her shoulder, and snatched another from Shane's hand.

The pop star smirked and put his arm around Mitchie's waist. "Okay then."

"Let's dance," she said in his ear, placing a soft kiss right under it.

She didn't have to tell him twice. Within seconds, he started swaying to the music. Mitchie found it much easier to move with him this time. Her stomach was still a little upset, but she figured it was a reaction to how the room was spinning and the way her head was starting to feel fuzzy. And that must be from all the hormones her brain was sending through her body from all this excitement. But it had _nothing_ to do with the punch, because it was _not_ spiked. Shane had said so himself, and she trusted him.

As they danced, Mitchie continued to drink that delicious punch, which was getting tastier with each sip. When she finished her third cup, Shane let her share with him, then waved over someone to bring them more. Mitchie took the cup greedily, getting more bold as the cup emptied.

Finally, she felt free. She didn't feel like everyone was looking at her anymore. In fact, she felt like she and Shane were the only two left in the whole cabin. As the music thumped louder and louder, Mitchie and Shane danced, bumping and grinding like the best of them, their sweat mixing together from the closeness of their bodies.

Gradually, campers started to disperse, and the music got quieter. Eventually, the only people left in the cabin were Shane, Mitchie, Nate, and Jason.

"This place is a mess," Nate observed, looking around at the wreckage in disgust while running a hand through his brown curls. There were cups everywhere, mostly on the ground, except for the ones still attached to Mitchie's and Shane's hands. "This party was a _great_ idea, Shane," he said bitterly. Nate never did like parties; he was more of the quiet type.

"Damn right it was!" Shane said loud and obnoxiously, slinging his arm around Mitchie's shoulder. Both looked at each other and erupted in a fit of giggles.

Nate rolled his eyes at their obvious drunkenness. "Riiiiight. Well, Jason and I are going to bed. I suggest you do the same. You're going to have one hell of a headache tomorrow morning."

"I gotta walk Smitchie- Titchie- Itchie-," Shane tried to get the girl's name right, "Twitchie?"

"Mitchie!" Mitchie exclaimed, hitting him in the chest.

"Yeah, that!" He grinned. "I gotta get Mitchie back to her cabin."

"You do that then," Nate said. "Goodnight." He grabbed Jason by the shirt collar and pulled him into the smaller of the two bedrooms occupying the cabin. Jason took one last look at Shane and Mitchie before he pulled his head of straightened brown hair in the room with the rest of his body, shutting the door.

"Come on," Shane said, taking Mitchie's hand and pulling her to the other bedroom.

"I thought you were gonna bring me to my cabin?" Mitchie asked, speaking slowly, trying to get the words right.

"I liiiiied." Shane giggled, pulling Mitchie into the room with him, shutting the door behind them.

"My mom's waiting for me," the girl protested. She looked around the room, spotting the bed. "Hey, I know what you're doing!" She pointed an accusing finger at one of the three Shanes she was seeing. "I am not one of those girls. I'm not sleeping with you."

"I don't want you to." He sat on the bed. "I just want you to cuddle me!" He gave her a goofy grin and opened his arms, soon falling backwards onto the mattress.

Mitchie giggled and lay down beside him. "Okay, I can do that."

"Good." Shane kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her.

They lay there for all of a minute before Shane decided cuddling wasn't enough. He lifted Mitchie's chin and kissed her lips gently at first, then a bit rougher. Mitchie reciprocated, finding kissing much more enjoyable than it had been earlier that night. As he deepened the kiss, Shane rested his hand on Mitchie's waist, rubbing it gently. He pushed his tongue into her mouth. They fought for dominance, but Shane quickly won; Mitchie's tongue didn't stand a chance. During this battle, Mitchie didn't seem to notice as Shane's hand went up her shirt. When his hand closed around her breast, she squealed in surprise, accidentally biting Shane's tongue. Shane, taking this as a good sign, one to continue, quickly broke the kiss, sitting them both up, and pulling Mitchie's shirt over her head.

"Hey, now," Mitchie said, slightly cross, putting her hand on Shane's chest to stop him. "I said I wasn't sleeping with you."

"But why not?" Shane asked, sounding angry. "I love you, Mitchie."

"You do…?" The girl asked, blinking her eyes rapidly in the dark.

"Yeah." He nodded his head vigorously. "Don't you love me?"

"Yeah, I mean…I think I do." She tried to get her thoughts together. "I mean, yes. I do. I love you."

"Then prove it." Shane stood up, pulling his white and black striped shirt over his head.

Mitchie gazed at his bare chest in the moonlight, then up at his face. His eyes were burning into her. Once again, she had a decision to make. Should she reject him, and risk losing him and everyone in camp hating her again? Or should she go against everything she stood for and give in to peer pressure?

Had the punch _not_ been spiked, Mitchie would have been capable of this rational thinking. But, the punch _was_ spiked, despite what the naïve girl believed. So she was not capable of rational thinking.

Smiling up at him slightly, Mitchie took hold Shane's belt and started to undo it. The pop star smiled down at his innocent little pawn. Things had played out quite nicely for him that night.

As soon as his pants hit the floor, Shane pushed Mitchie back on the bed, yanking her pants off her legs, underwear and all. Her cheeks flushed in the darkness, not used to being this exposed to anyone, hardly even herself. He instructed her to remove her bra, and she did. Then he was on top of her, frantically kissing her lips, then neck, then chest. As he did this, he picked up her hands and made them rest on the elastic of his boxers. Taking his cue, the girl slid them down as much as she could until Shane moved away from her and kicked them off.

Mitchie was embarrassed to look at him, having never seen anything like… Well, _that_ before. Until tonight, she truly had been a prude. But none of that mattered anymore. Because here she was, lying naked in bed with a guy she'd only known for a month. But he loved her, and she loved him. Or at least she thought she did. And that's all that mattered, right? Love?

"I love you," she said to Shane as he lay on top of her again.

"Shh," he shushed her, placing a finger to her lips. "Don't talk. Just relax. This is going to be fun."

* * *

Mitchie woke the next morning with the worst headache she'd ever experienced. Trying to open her eyes was extreme agony. And when she finally managed, she wished she hadn't. This was not her bedroom or her cabin. This was a very strange place to her.

Picking up her throbbing head a little, she surveyed the area, wide-eyed.

"What the…?" She was very confused to see her clothes on the floor. Her heart nearly stopped when she spotted a pair of boxer shorts. "No… I didn't."

That's when she became aware of the other person in the bed. She slowly turned over only to see Shane's sleeping face right next to hers. She lifted the covers and peeked inside, confirming that yes, neither of them were wearing anything.

"Shit, I did," Mitchie said, swearing for the first time ever in her entire life−out loud, that is.

Trying to pull herself together, she got out of the bed and started picking her clothes up off the floor, dressing in the process; the whole while she was quiet, careful not to wake up Shane.

When she'd finished making sure she had everything she needed, including her cell phone, which had been in her pants pocket, she backed out of the room slowly, closing the door quietly on the way out.

She let out a sigh, then turned to the main room of the cabin, eyes opening wide in surprise when she saw people there, which she had not expected at all.

"Mitchie?" Nate asked in disbelief, holding a broom. Jason was kneeling on the ground beside him with a dustpan.

Without a word, Mitchie bolted for the door, out into the early morning. The sun wasn't even up yet. Why Jason and Nate had been awake, she had no clue, but that didn't really matter. She just kept running, to where, she wasn't sure. But eventually, her legs brought her to the pond. She hadn't realized tears had been running down her face until her knees hit the ground at the water's edge. She erupted into sobs as the whole night came back to her: The drinking, the dancing, going into the bedroom, the kissing, followed by the discarding of clothing, the feeling of Shane over her, in her, the sound of the bed springs squeaking as it all happened. _This is going to be fun_, he'd said. Since when was fun painful? She'd always heard that sex was supposed to give you pleasure, but what she'd felt was not pleasure. The rumors about your first time hurting, she realized, were true.

Leaning against a log, she continued to cry as the sun started to come up. She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, her back against the log, tear tracks marking her face, being renewed every few seconds as more tears escaped her eyes. It amazed her how there could be so much beauty in the world, like the sunset, when such horrible things happened, like the previous night.

How could she have let herself be so stupid? She'd never had a drink before in her life. Was she really that desperate for people to like her that she completely let her guard down, got drunk out of her mind, went against her morals, and gave her virginity to someone she hardly knew? Apparently, because that's what she'd done. Had they even used a condom? Thinking back, she couldn't remember Shane putting one on. Her heart dropped to her stomach at the very thought.

"Get a hold of yourself, Mitchie," she said to herself. "You probably can't remember that part because you have a splitting headache right now," she reasoned with herself, even if she could remember _everything_ else.

After staying by the pond until she'd finished crying and she was sure her mother had left for the kitchen to start breakfast, she snuck back to her cabin, careful not to be spotted by a counselor or any other camper that was up at that hour. She didn't want anyone to see her in her current state: hair a mess, makeup smudged all over her face, eyes and nose both red and puffy, sweat dried on her skin, making her stink to high Heaven, and not to mention still wearing last night's clothes.

When she reached the cabin she shared with her mother, the first thing she did was run to the bathroom. She ripped her clothes off and turned the shower on, jumping in before the water had warmed. She'd never been so thankful that her mother had a private bathroom in her cabin until that moment. As the water cascaded over her, running down her face, breasts, stomach, and hitting the shower floor, she once again started crying. She'd thought she'd run out of tears, but apparently she still had some left. They mixed with the water from the showerhead.

As the sweat and tears washed off her body, Mitchie started to feel better. The hot water soothed her throbbing head and she was able to think more clearly. Sure, she'd made a mistake, but it wasn't the end of the world. This was the first one she'd made in her entire life, besides the big lie at the beginning of camp. She was allowed to cut herself some slack. So she would just put this behind her, act like it never happened. Just like the water was washing away her filth, it was also washing away the deed.

She kept telling herself this, desperate for anything to make her feel better about last night's actions. She didn't believe it for one second, but she figured if she kept telling herself that, maybe she would start to think it was true.

After her shower, she dressed in the most comfortable clothes she'd brought−pajamas. She was too depressed to go out to breakfast, plus she was still feeling sick from being hung over and exhausted from all the dancing and other physical activity. She winced at the thought, and quickly pushed it from her mind. She was tired because she hadn't slept much last night, she told herself. No other reason.

When she sat on her bed, she nearly cried out in pain. Sitting hurt her. She bit her lip to prevent herself from crying as she moved under the covers and lay down. Pulling the blankets up to her neck, she closed her eyes, but the images from last night started playing themselves in her head.

After fighting tears and memories for what seemed like forever, Mitchie was finally able to fall asleep, only to be awakened an hour later when her mother came back from the kitchens.

"What on Earth happened to you last night?" Connie Torres exclaimed when she found her daughter safe and sound in bed, not where she'd been when she left.

Mitchie winced at her mother's loud voice, her head still panging slightly. Rubbing one eye, she lifted herself up on her elbow. "I stayed at Caitlyn's cabin last night. No big deal," she lied smoothly.

"I saw Caitlyn at breakfast and she said she hadn't seen you." Her mother placed her hands on her hips.

Oops. "Yeah, well, I left early, before she woke up, came back here, and went back to sleep," Mitchie said, surprising herself with the very convincing lie she had come up with.

"Why?" Connie's eyes narrowed, apparently not buying it.

"Because I don't feel well, Mom," Mitchie whined. "My head and my stomach hurt, so that's why I wasn't at breakfast, too, in case you were wondering."

Connie's scowl quickly slipped off her face as concern for her daughter replaced her suspicion. "Oh, my poor baby!" She exclaimed, rushing over to the bed and putting her hand on Mitchie's forehead. "Do you have a fever?"

Mitchie shook her head, pushing her mom's hand off. "No, I just didn't fell well, but I'm a little better." She sat up, wincing again because this still hurt. "I think I might need some fresh air. I'm going to go for a walk." She threw the covers off her aching body and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"Are you sure?" Connie asked. "Your eyes and nose are red. Maybe it's allergies?"

Mitchie went over to the dresser and looked in the mirror, seeing that yes, her eyes and nose were a nice pink shade and still slightly swollen. Also, her hair was a complete mess from her going to bed with it wet. "I'll be fine, Mom. I got the rest I needed, now I need air. Plus, I need to go find Caitlyn and, uh… Explain why I left so early."

"Alright, honey," Connie said, crossing over to her daughter and kissing her temple. "I have to get back to the kitchen to finish cleaning from breakfast and start on lunch. If you start feeling sick again, you get yourself back in bed. And if you need anything, my cell phone will be on, so just call me, and I'll come rushing back."

"Okay, Mommy, thanks," Mitchie said sweetly, a small smile on her face, trying to hide the lump in her throat. As she watched her mom walk out the cabin door, she felt the urge to call her back, to collapse in her protective embrace, cry her eyes out, and tell her mother everything, just like she used to do when she was ten (which was probably the last time she' referred to her mother as _Mommy_). But she knew this wouldn't be the same. Sex and having dirt kicked in your face on the playground were in two totally different worlds. This was _not_ something she could tell her mother.

Mitchie dressed herself in the most comfy thing she owned besides her pajamas: sweat pants that reached just past her knees, a plain t-shirt, and a pair of Converse−the one pair of sneakers she owned. After she pulled her hair up into a messy ponytail, she slipped her sunglasses on, letting them rest on the bridge of her nose. She knew the sun would be murder on her eyes and make her headache come back without them.

Exiting the cabin, she took a quick survey of her surroundings. A few people were out an about, and no one seemed to be looking at her strangely, so apparently word hadn't spread about her spending the night at Connect 3's cabin. Of course, only four people knew about that. Jason and Nate wouldn't tell because they respected women too much. She was sure Shane wasn't even awake yet _to_ tell anyone, and she sure as _hell_ wasn't running her mouth about it. That meant no one had seen her leave, so her secret was still an actual secret.

With a small sigh of relief, Mitchie started making her way to the cabin where break dance classes were usually held. This was where she'd most likely find Caitlyn. Opening the double doors and peaking in, she realized she'd been correct to assume her friend would be here. Mitchie spotted the head of light brown curls instantly, bouncing up and down to the beat of some song.

"Hey, Geller!" Mitchie called out over the music, an amused smile on her face.

Caitlyn nearly jumped a foot in the air, surprised that she wasn't alone anymore. She turned to see the smiling face of her best friend. "Hey, Mitch," she greeted. "Nice of you to turn up. Your mom's been looking for you all morning." She walked over to the stereo at the corner of the room and switched if off; she picked a towel up off the floor and wiped the sweat from the back of her neck. Caitlyn had been enjoying having the dance room to herself, since she was the only one up because pretty much everyone else was hung over from Connect 3's party.

Mitchie tried to keep the smile on her face, glad her eyes were still hidden behind sunglasses. She knew that her eyes always betrayed her. "Well, turns out I was in the cabin this morning."

"And before that?" Caitlyn asked, quirking an eyebrow. She'd stopped wiping her neck and now the towel rested on either side of her shoulders, her holding the end of the towel on each side.

"Yeah, about that…" Mitchie pulled at her fingers nervously. "I kind of told her I spent the night at your cabin and left before you woke up."

"But you didn't," Caitlyn said, clearly confused.

"I know." Mitchie nodded. "But if she asks, can you please tell her that's what happened?"

"Why?" She asked, suspicion in her voice.

"Can you just please do this for me?"

Caitlyn shook her head. "I'm not covering for you unless you tell me why."

"What kind of friend are you?" Mitchie exclaimed, anger and desperation making her voice high.

"A good one," Caitlyn said calmly. "One that actually cares about you and wants to know what you're up to in case you're in trouble so she can help you."

Mitchie sighed and slid her glasses down, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You're right, I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Caitlyn's voice was quiet, and she took a step forward, placing a supportive hand on Mitchie's arm. "Now what's going on, Mitchie?"

The brunette shook her head. "Not here. Come on, take a walk with me. Let's go to the pond."

Caitlyn said nothing as Mitchie turned and walked out the cabin; she followed, dropping her towel before leaving the building and walking into the blinding morning sun. She placed her hand over her eyes, shielding them from the harmful rays, a little jealous of her friend's sunglasses.

They walked in silence until they reached the pond. The two girls walked along the bank for a few minutes until they were so out of the way of the last of the cabins that there was no way there would be anyone around to overhear. When Mitchie reached a spot that seemed to satisfy her, she sat Indian style in the sand, removing her shoes and socks immediately. Caitlyn sat across from her friend, facing her, and mirroring her actions, placing her socks inside her shoes a few inches away.

"You didn't go to Shane's party last night, did you?" Mitchie asked suddenly, eyes downcast.

Caitlyn shook her head, moving her legs out of Indian style. "Wasn't exactly invited." She brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, gazing at Mitchie with her big brown eyes.

"I went," Mitchie said quietly. When Caitlyn didn't respond, she continued. "Someone spiked the punch."

"You didn't drink any, did you?" Caitlyn asked, digging her toes in the sand. She thought she had an answer, but she wanted to make sure she was wrong.

"No, Caitlyn." Mitchie shook her head. "I drank. I drank a lot."

Caitlyn exhaled loudly through her nose. So she had been right. "What did you do?"

The young singer didn't answer, a mixture of not wanting to and not being able to because she couldn't find her voice. That worried her friend sitting right across from her.

"Mitchie, what did you do?" Caitlyn asked again, a little louder.

A single tear slid out from behind the sunglasses. "Shane," Mitchie said, her chin quivering.

"Shane? What about him?" Caitlyn asked, Mitchie's only response letting more tears slide down her face. Realization hit Caitlyn hard in the face. "Tell me you didn't sleep with him, Mitchie! Tell me you didn't!"

Mitchie snatched off her sunglasses, looking at her friend with bloodshot brown eyes. "I can't, because I did," she said, her voice hard. She stared at Caitlyn for a few seconds with a blank expression, then her face crumpled and a sob rippled through her chest, erupting out of her.

"Oh, honey," Caitlyn said, scrabbling over to her friend's side and taking the crying girl in her arms, pulling her onto her lap. Mitchie buried her face in Caitlyn's neck, finding her friend's touch very soothing. Caitlyn stroked the other girl's hair, whispering soothing messages like "it'll be okay" and "don't worry, everything's going to be fine" into her ear the entire time. When Mitchie finally settled down, the only sound that could be heard was her sniffling, trying to breathe from her stuffy noise.

"I didn't think it was humanly possible to cry as much as I have today," she said softly, her head resting on Caitlyn's shoulder.

"You used protection, didn't you?" Caitlyn asked suddenly, her voice urgent. She got no answer from the girl in her lap. "Mitchie!"

"I don't remember, okay?" Mitchie said defensively, removing herself from her friend's arms and standing up. "I was drunk."

"You didn't see one on the floor or in the bed or the trash when you left this morning?" Caitlyn questioned, standing as well.

"I was a little too freaked out at the time to go on a condom quest, Caitlyn!" Mitchie snarled, crossing her arms over her chest, and moving to stand by the water's edge, looking out over it.

Caitlyn sighed and walked over to her friend, putting her hand on her shoulder from behind her. "You need to talk to him, Mitchie."

"I know, Cay. I know," came Mitchie's voice, quietly.

After Mitchie pulled herself together, she and Caitlyn started making their way to Connect 3's cabin, Caitlyn holding Mitchie's hand tightly for support. When they reached their destination, the girls stood outside, facing it, neither of them saying anything.

"Want me to go in with you?" Caitlyn asked, breaking the silence.

"No." Mitchie shook her head. "This is something I have to do by myself. But promise me you'll be here waiting for me when I come out?" She looked at her friend.

"Of course," Caitlyn said, pulling Mitchie into a hug. "Good luck."

Mitchie pulled out of the hug with a weak smile. Taking a deep breath, she walked up the steps to the cabin and knocked on the door. Straining to listen for sound from within, she waited for an answer that never came. She looked over her shoulder at Caitlyn, giving her a questioning look, who shrugged in return. Mitchie gulped and grabbed the door handle, pulling it open and slipping inside. The main room was dark, so she reached over and switched on the light. The room had been completely cleaned from the night before, and there was no sign of life. Not even a guitar left lying around. Her feet took her to the room she'd snuck out of that morning, and she threw the door open. With panic stricken eyes, she realized that the room had been stripped almost bear. There were no hair products on the dresser, and the drawers, which had been left open, were empty. Shane's clothes didn't litter the floor, either. But there, on the floor next to the bed, were two empty bottles of vodka, the bottles Shane had sworn no one could smuggle in. Except maybe a counselor…

Slapping her hand to her mouth in horror, she turned and ran out the cabin, back to Caitlyn.

"What's wrong?" the curly haired girl asked, seeing the look on her friend's face.

"He's gone. All his clothes, all his stuff. Everything's gone," Mitchie said, her breath coming in short gasps.

"He can't be, Brown wouldn't let him go," Caitlyn said, shaking her head. "He's a counselor and we still have a month left of camp to go."

"But all the classes are done!" Mitchie threw her arms up in the air in frustration. "He's not needed anymore."

"Calm down, Mitchie!" Caitlyn put her hands on the panicking girl's shoulders. "We'll go talk to Brown and get this all sorted out."

"Get what sorted out?" A man's voice with a British accent asked. Both girls turned to see their camp director, Brown Cesario walking up to them in his usual band shirt, jeans, and leather jacket.

"Brown," Caitlyn put on her sweet smile she reserved for adults, "we were just wondering if you'd seen Shane."

Brown scratched the back of his neck, a little annoyance showing on his face. "Yes, I have. Mr. Pop Star left this morning."

"Left?" Caitlyn asked. Mitchie grabbed hold of her friend's arm and dug her nails in, panic returning. Caitlyn winced slightly. It would have hurt more if she hadn't started to panic, herself. "What do you mean he left?"

"I mean he left," Brown said. "He's gone."

"But he'll be coming back, right?" Caitlyn asked, trying to keep the smile on her face.

Brown shook his head. "No, he won't. His manager saw how 'well he was doing at Final Jam' and whisked him away this morning, saying something about his summer European tour being un-cancelled. Since classes are done, I figured I didn't need the little brat here anymore anyway, so I just let them go." There was bitterness in his voice. "You know, I thought he'd changed and that he actually liked it here." Brown shook his head and walked away, muttering to himself about his ungrateful nephew, completely oblivious to the two girls he had been talking to that were suddenly deathly pale.

"Okay, don't panic," Caitlyn said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. "You have his cell number, right? You can call him!"

Mitchie nodded, not being able to say anything. She quickly reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, and flipped it open, going through her contacts and selecting the number, then pressing the device to her ear.

_We're sorry, but the number you dialed has been disconnected, _an operator's voice said instead of the phone ringing.

Mitchie dropped her phone, her hand starting to shake and her jaw hanging open in horror. "Disconnected?" She said quietly.

"What?" Caitlyn exclaimed. "No, you must have had the wrong number. Here, let me try. I know this number works because I prank called him one night and he answered." Caitlyn took out her own phone and dialed the number.

_We're sorry, but the number you dialed has been-_

"Fuck!" Caitlyn snapped her phone closed, bringing her thumb up to her mouth and chewing on the nail. Mitchie looked at her, fear in her eyes. "His manager must have had his phone disconnected so no one from Camp Rock could contact him," Caitlyn said, removing her thumb from her mouth.

"Caitlyn, what am I going to do?" Mitchie asked, her voice shaking.

Caitlyn opened her mouth to say something reassuring, but could come up with nothing. Instead she said, "I don't know, Mitch."

Mitchie groaned and went over to the steps outside Shane's former cabin, taking a seat, resting her elbows on her knees and putting her head in her hands. Caitlyn went over and sat beside her, rubbing her friend's back in a soothing manner as her shoulders started to shake. Mitchie lifted her head, fresh tears on her cheeks, clasping her hands together in front of her.

"I'm fucked," Mitchie said. "Literally."

* * *

**If you have no idea where I'm going with this, all I have to say is: Don't worry, there is a point; be patient! And no, this story is not going to be centered around a relationship between Mitchie and Shane or Caitlyn and Mitchie (even though I love Maitlyn). The story will be about Mitchie and Alex… Eventually.**

**Future chapters will not be this long. I just needed to open the story. **

**Review, tell me your thoughts.**


	2. Geller, You're Giving Me A Headache

**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place.**

**Yes, I had to reupload this chapter about five minutes later. There was an issue. Sorry for the confusion.  
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**4 reviews for last chapter? Really, guys? Come on, now. You can do better than that. I dare you…

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Mitchie Torres sat on the floor of her bathroom, tears running down her face, like usual. She had her back leaning against the cabinet, her knees to her chest. Her long brown hair fell around her face, sticking to her cheeks occasionally because of the wetness. Her nightshirt was already soaked from using it to wipe her eyes.

"Caitlyn, I'm scared to death," Mitchie said as quietly as possible into her phone. She had been back from Camp Rock for about two months and had called Caitlyn nearly every day, her being the only person that knew her secret, the only person she could talk to.

"I'm sure everything will be okay," Caitlyn said. She told Mitchie this every single phone call, even if neither of them believed it.

"But what if, Caitlyn? What if this pregnancy test comes out positive?" Mitchie asked, holding the box in the hand that wasn't holding her cell phone.

"I don't think you're pregnant," Caitlyn said, cradling her cell phone against her neck as she flipped through pages in her magazine. When she got to a page with a picture of Shane Gray, she picked up a pen off her desk and stabbed the pop star in the face with it, feeling nothing but hatred for the boy who was causing her best friend nothing but pain.

"I think I am," Mitchie said quietly, crumpling the box in her hand. "I've been getting sick recently, right when I wake up."

Caitlyn stopped flipping through the magazine, this bit of information new to her. "You could just be literally worrying yourself sick."

"I've missed a few periods too, Cay." Mitchie poked her head back into her bedroom to check the time, seeing it was nearly midnight. She'd had to make this call after her parents went to bed so they wouldn't hear her. She'd taken the test at approximately 11:50. Her results would be ready around midnight.

The curly haired girl sat up straight, suddenly very alert. "How many?"

"I haven't had one since before we left Camp Rock."

"Fuck," Caitlyn said, the seriousness of the situation dawning on her.

"Gee, thanks," Mitchie said, eyes on her very nervous stomach. The idea that a life could be growing in there both amazed and terrified her.

"Well, you know, stress can cause you to miss periods, and you've been stressed ever since that night."

"That's a possibility, but would it last this long?" Mitchie chewed her bottom lip.

"I don't know," Caitlyn admitted. "Did you go get checked for any diseases? You never know what Shane has."

"No, I didn't." Mitchie sighed and lay down on her bed. "I don't think he had anything, though."

"You might be surprised," Caitlyn said. "You didn't think the punch was spiked, either."

"Thanks, Caitlyn, that makes me feel loads better!" Mitchie said bitterly into the mouthpiece of her phone. "Besides, most diseases take at least six months to show up, anyway. So I'll just get checked in December. Merry Christmas."

"So let's just say you were pregnant." Caitlyn tapped her fingers on her desk, trying to calculate. "That would make you how many months along?"

"Well, we had sex at the end of July, and it's almost the middle of October. So that would make it about two or three months."

"So that would mean you'd deliver in six months, then." Caitlyn thought about it for a moment. "You'd be due in April. _If_ you were pregnant, which I don't think you are, once again."

"That makes one of us," Mitchie muttered.

"You only had sex _one_ time!" Caitlyn said, standing up from her desk and starting to pace across her room.

"It only takes one time, Caitlyn! Don't you pay attention in health class?" Mitchie pinched the bridge of her nose, the current conversation beginning to give her a headache. She checked the clock again. 12:01. It was time to check the test. "Cay, my results are ready," she said quietly, barely able to talk past the lump in her throat.

"Just breathe, Mitchie," Caitlyn said, wanting nothing more than to be with her friend; but they were states away. "No matter what, I'm here for you."

Mitchie nodded, even though Caitlyn couldn't see her through the phone. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the bathroom. Her nerves were on edge and her stomach was in knots. She always hated getting test results back. She was always afraid she'd failed; although, this was a test Mitchie wouldn't mind failing. This was a little more serious than an F in history.

She went over to the little cup at the edge of the counter that held her urine, wrinkling her nose in disgust. She'd placed the stick so that she couldn't see the results until she actually picked it up.

"So, what is it?" Caitlyn's voice buzzed in her ear, startling her.

"I haven't looked at it yet," Mitchie snapped.

"How will you know if you're pregnant?" Caitlyn asked. "What kind of test is it?"

"Plus sign for positive, minus sign for negative, now hush!" Mitchie scolded. When she was met with silence from the other end of the line, she took another deep breath, bracing herself. Biting down hard on her lip, she picked up the little stick, shaking it slightly to dry it.

Funny how a little piece of plastic could determine her entire future. And if she'd just remembered to use a little piece of rubber, she wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.

Shaking her head at her foolishness and closing her eyes, she flipped the stick over quickly, wanting to get it over with. Just like ripping off a band aid. Knowing she'd have to look at the test sooner or later, she peeked one eye open, looking down. As soon as she saw the result, her other eye flashed open and her phone fell from her hand.

Caitlyn had to take her phone away from her ear, the crash surprising her. After a few moments, she put the phone back in its previous position. She was met with no sound.

"Mitchie?" She asked loudly. "Mitchie, are you still there?"

Yes, Mitchie was there. She leaned her back against the tiled bathroom wall and slid down it into a sitting position. Staring blankly into space, she grabbed blindly for her phone.

"Mitchie, what does the test say?" Caitlyn nearly screamed into her phone.

Mitchie held the phone to her ear. "It's positive, Cay. I'm pregnant," she said, her voice barely above a whisper; she was holding the plastic test strip up to examine it again. A little red plus sign was staring back at her.

"Oh my God!" Caitlyn exclaimed, slapping her hand over her mouth. Slowly, she moved it away. "Are you sure? I mean, is there any possibility that you read it wrong?"

"Plus yes, minus no, I don't think it gets much simpler than that," Mitchie said, trying to keep her voice steady as fresh tears welled in her eyes. "What am I going to do?"

"Well… There's always, you know…" Caitlyn cleared her throat. "Nipping it in the bud."

Mitchie shook her head furiously fast, even though no one could see it. "No," Mitchie said, wiping her eyes dry. "I can't have an abortion. It's not my life to take; I could never."

"Thank goodness," Caitlyn said with a sigh of relief, putting her hand over her heart. "I hate abortion. But it _is _an option."

"Not for me," the brunette answered, her jaw set. "Next option."

"Adoption?" Caitlyn rubbed the back of her neck with her hand, knowing this was probably the best option for someone in Mitchie's situation.

"I don't know, Cay," she responded quietly. "I don't think I could ever give up my baby and never see it again."

"Well, Mitchie, there's open adoption, where the parents send you pictures and updates throughout the kid's life." Caitlyn switched her phone to the other ear. "You can even go see it, too. They'll raise it, but you'd still get to be a part of its life."

"How do you know so much about this?" Mitchie asked, standing and throwing the test in the garbage.

"I watch a lot of Lifetime," Caitlyn said, receiving a snort from her friend on the other line. "Shut up, some of the movies are good," she defended. "But seriously, I think open adoption is your best option."

"Hey, that rhymed. You could write a song," Mitchie said with no emotion in her voice, followed by a sigh. "I don't know, Caitlyn. I honestly don't think I could give it to anyone else. I sort of… Love it already." She placed her hand on her stomach, looking down at it in wonder.

"Then, keep it, I guess," Caitlyn said, her brain trying to adjust to the idea of Mitchie being a mother. "Hey, why aren't you crying?"

"I don't know." Mitchie picked up the cup of urine and dumped it in the toilet, then threw the cup in the trash. "Probably because it hasn't officially sunken in yet." She cradled the phone in her neck as she washed her hands.

"You've been thinking you were pregnant for weeks now, but it hasn't sunken in yet now that you've had confirmation?" Caitlyn asked skeptically; an idea dawned on her. "Mitchie…Do you…Want to be pregnant?"

"How can you ask me something like that?" Mitchie snapped, drying her hands with a towel. "Of course I don't! I'm sixteen." She switched off the bathroom light and walked back into her bedroom/

"Hey, I was just asking!" The girl flopped down on her bed.

"I don't know, Cay," Mitchie sat down on her own bed. "But, the idea of having something to love and someone to love me back… It's tempting."

"That's what a lot of girls think, until the baby comes and does nothing but eat, sleep, cry, and shit," Caitlyn said, a yawn escaping from her mouth as soon as she finished her sentence.

"You're tired," Mitchie said guiltily. "I should let you go."

"No, I'll stay on the phone with you as long as you need."

"Caitlyn, no, you've done enough," Mitchie argued. "Go to sleep. Text me tomorrow, okay?"

"Fine," Caitlyn agreed reluctantly. "But before I go, when do you plan to tell your parents?"

Mitchie bit her lip, considering. "Tomorrow. Better get it over with."

"Wow. Bold. Let me know before you do it so I can be on standby near my phone in case you need support."

"Can do. Bye, Caitlyn," Mitchie said softly. "Love you."

"Love you too, Babe. Get some sleep." And with that, Caitlyn hung up.

Mitchie closed her phone and stared at it for a few seconds, letting the conversation sink in. She dropped her phone on her bed, then looked down at her stomach, placing a hand over her small belly, knowing it wasn't going to stay that way for much longer.

"Oh my fucking gosh," Mitchie swore, reality settling in, bringing about a fresh round of tears. She'd been swearing and crying a lot since that night she spent with Shane. Just thinking about him put a bad taste in her mouth. Closing her eyes, she could still see his face, smirking down at her as she undid his belt. "Why did you do this to me?" She asked his memory, tears escaping her closed eyelids. Leaning all her weight on one side, she fell face-first into her pillows, curling up into a ball immediately after. She sobbed into her pillows, just liked she'd done every night since the party, until her eyes were so heavy and her body was so exhausted that she fell into an uneasy slumber.

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The next morning, Mitchie woke with a start. She sat bolt upright in bed, slapping her hand over her mouth. Her stomach was twisting and turning. Mitchie knew she only had a few more seconds before morning sickness took her over, so she jumped out of bed and dashed to the bathroom, making it to the toilet just in time. She had to hold her own hair back as her stomach emptied itself of all contents, like it had been doing every morning for the past week. When she was finished, she stood from her kneeling position on the floor with a groan. She went over to the sink, placing her hands on either side of it. Looking up at her reflection in the mirror, she saw that she had tears running down her face again, but this time not from sadness. This time it was from the misery of the situation and from vomiting. She'd always cried when she threw up, even when she was little.

But she wasn't a little girl anymore, she realized. She was sixteen and on her way to becoming a mother. How could someone who still depended on her mother for so much _be_ one? She shook her head at her reflection.

"Way to go, idiot. You screwed up your life, and the life of someone who hasn't even been born yet," she muttered to herself, reaching for her toothbrush.

Once she'd brushed her teeth and cleaned her face from any traces of vomit, she changed from her pajamas into a simple, purple t-shirt and black sweatpants. She figured she better get used to wearing sweatpants, since that would be all she'd be able to fit for a while.

Wringing her hands the entire time, she went downstairs to the kitchen. Her mother was busy at the stove, pushing a few slices of bacon around on a pan. Her brown hair was tied up, away from her face. Mitchie could see that she looked peaceful, like she always did when she was cooking. The young girl hated herself, knowing she was about to divulge information that could quite possibly never allow her mother to have peace again.

"Hey, kiddo," Connie said, looking up with a smile when she heard her daughter enter the kitchen. "I'm almost done with this bacon, then I'm going to start on the pancakes."

"Not hungry," Mitchie said with a look of distaste, her hand going to her unsettled stomach. She frowned down at it, upset that she had no appetite for her favorite breakfast: her mom's famous pancakes. _Thanks a lot_, she thought, not daring to say it out loud.

Connie watched her daughter curiously. "You haven't been eating breakfast all week. Are you feeling okay?"

"Just not hungry, that's all." Mitchie shrugged, sitting down at the table. "Where's Dad?" she asked, examining her father's empty seat. It was Sunday morning, which meant he didn't have to go to work, so should be home. In fact, on Sunday mornings he was usually seated at the table, reading the morning paper.

"He went to the store to get milk; we were running low. Should be back any minute now."

As if on cue, Mitchie's ears picked up the sound of keys jiggling in the lock, followed by the front door opening and closing.

"Morning family," Steve Torres announced, walking into the kitchen carrying a plastic shopping bag. He went over to the stove, where his wife had started with the pancakes, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Then, he stopped to give his daughter a kiss on the top of the head on the way to the fridge. "Morning, princess," he said, opening the fridge door to put the milk inside.

"Morning, Dad," Mitchie said, playing with the salt and pepper shakers in front of her, needing something to occupy her hands. She kept her eyes focused on the tiny chef-shaped shakers, their little, paint-on smiles creeping her out. She sighed and set them aside, racking her brain for a way to break the news to her parents that they were going to be grandparents in six short months.

She glanced over her shoulder at them. They were talking quietly to each other by the stove, frowning slightly. She was wondering what they were discussing when they both looked at her. After making quick eye contact with each of them, she turned away, cheeks flushing. So they were discussing her…

Mitchie took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. It was now or never.

"I have to tell you guys something," she said, turning around in her seat again.

Steve and Connie exchanged a concerned look, then walked over to the table, sitting on either side of their daughter.

"Actually, we wanted to talk to you, too," Connie said, placing her hand on top of her daughter's.

"You did?" Mitchie asked. What could this be about?

"Yes, Mitchie." Steve cleared his throat. "Your mother and I have noticed some…Changes…With you."

"Changes?" Mitchie asked slowly.

"Like the depression, and the lack of appetite," Connie clarified. "We're beginning to get worried, Honey. You've hardly smiled since Final Jam." Mitchie's heart raced at the mention of that night.

"We think it has something to do with that boy." Steve looked at his wife. "What was his name again?"

"Shane Gray, dear," Connie answered, then looked at Mitchie, who had gone pale. "He left the day after Final Jam, and you haven't been the same since. You cry all the time."

"You're always sad," Steve added. "You've stopped eating breakfast."

"And your father heard you throwing up yesterday morning." Connie squeezed her daughter's hand, trying to convey her concern. "I know you miss him and you're upset he hasn't called, but you can't live like this."

"Mom-" Mitchie began.

"Hurting yourself is not the answer," Steve said, cutting her off.

"Dad-"

"Did Shane hurt you that badly that you resort to bulimia because you think it will make you thinner and more appealing to guys?" her mother asked.

"Mom, Dad, I'm not bulimic! I'm pregnant!" Mitchie exclaimed, slapping her hand over her mouth as soon as the words flew out of it.

"What?" Connie asked, her voice barely audible. Mitchie couldn't answer, so she just hung her head. "Oh, Mitchie, how could you?"

"I don't know! We forgot a condom, and I was drunk!" the girl said loudly, tears forming in her eyes yet again.

"That doesn't make it any better!" her mother scolded.

"Was it that Shawn kid?" Steve asked, his jaw tight with anger.

"Shane," Mitchie corrected, wiping a few tears away as they fell. "And yeah, it was." She nodded.

"How did this happen?" Connie asked. "How did you get drunk at _camp_?"

"Shane, Nate, and Jason were having a party to celebrate after Final Jam." Mitchie said, embarrassed to be explaining her stupidity to her parents. "Someone spiked the punch, but I didn't know that. I didn't think anyone could have smuggled in alcohol, but someone managed."

"Who?" Connie asked, a dangerous look on her face.

"I, uh… I don't know," Mitchie lied, not exactly sure why she was protecting Shane. After all, he was the reason she was in this mess in the first place. "But I drank several cups of punch. Then Shane and I went back to his room, and one thing led to another, and it just sort of…Happened. I didn't plan it, and I didn't want it."

"So he _raped_ you?" Steve growled, standing up. "Wait 'til I get my hands on that little punk. I'll kill him!"

"No, Dad, he didn't rape me!" Mitchie yelled, putting her hands up. "I consented, but had I been thinking clearly, I wouldn't have."

Mitchie's father sat down again, running a hand through his short brown hair.

"How did you find out?" Mitchie's mother asked.

"I took a home pregnancy test last night," the young girl answered. "It came back positive."

"Those things can be wrong, you know," Connie said. "You didn't plan to make a doctor's appointment to find out for sure?"

Mitchie shook her head sheepishly. "No."

Her mother sighed. "I'll call and make you one for this week." She flashed her daughter a disapproving look and shook her head.

"Look," Mitchie said, fighting more tears, "I'm sorry. I know, it was stupid, and if I could take it back, I would."

"But you can't, Mitchie!" Connie threw her hands up in exasperation. "You can't. What's done is done, and now we've got to deal with it."

Mitchie hung her head in shame, her jaw shaking and a tear rolling down her cheek. "I'm not proud of it. I feel like such a fool. I let him use me, only for him to run away the next day. I'm such an idiot." She put her head in her hands, tears flowing freely.

"No, honey, you're not an idiot," Connie said softly, putting her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "You made a mistake. We all do at times; some of us just make bigger mistakes than others."

Mitchie lifted her head from her hands a little. "So you're not mad?"

"Oh we're plenty mad!" Steve said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

Connie nodded her agreement. "And disappointed." Mitchie dropped her hands to her lap, staring at them, and nodding slowly, understanding their disappointment; she was disappointed in herself as well. "But we're going to support you, in whatever decision you make here. You're still our daughter, and we still love you. We want you to know that. Right Steve?" She looked at her husband.

He nodded. "We love you very much, Mitchie. Nothing could change that."

Mitchie swallowed the lump in her throat that seemed to always be there nowadays. "I love you too."

"Have you given any thought to your options?" Connie asked.

"No abortion!" Mitchie said, her tone final. "I am not _killing_ my baby."

"No one's asking you to," Steve said, thankful she'd come to this decision. As much as he didn't want to see his sixteen year old have a baby, he hated the thought of ending a life that hadn't even started yet. Plus, this was his grandchild, after all. "What about adoption?"

"If I did an open adoption, I could go see it and the parents would send me pictures and stuff," Mitchie said, running her foot back and forth across the kitchen tile.

"That sounds nice," Mitchie's mother said. "That wouldn't be so bad."

"Yeah," Mitchie said softly, playing with her hands. "But I was thinking…Is there any possible way you guys would consider letting me…Keep it?" She looked up shyly.

"Mitchie, this isn't a stray dog or cat you found on the street," Steve said.

"You father's right. This is a baby we're talking about." Connie looked at her daughter. "A human being, a life you'd be responsible for. You'd have to feed it, change it, take care of it, and, well, raise it! That's a lot of responsibility for someone your age."

"But lots of girls do it!" Mitchie pointed out.

"Yeah, at the expense of their families," Connie countered. "We barely had enough money to send you to Camp Rock, let alone feed another mouth. Not to mention buy a crib, a stroller, changing table, clothes, bottles, toys, diapers, formula…"

"Actually, Connie, we still have all of Mitchie's stuff in the attic, so most of that is taken care of," Mr. Torres said, looking at the ceiling, as if trying to see through it into the attic.

"Steve," his wife said sternly. "Don't encourage this."

Steve locked eyes with his wife, then quickly shifted his gaze, looking at his daughter. "What do you want to do, Mitchie?"

"I want to keep it," Mitchie admitted quietly. "I know it would be hard, but I really want to do this. If money's an issue, I have a savings account. I was going to use it for college, but with my grades, I'll probably get a great scholarship. And I could always take out loans." She took in a breath, looking back and forth between her parents. "Just please, think about it."

Steve and Connie locked eyes, silently communicating.

"Fine, we'll think about it." Connie sighed. "But don't get your hopes up. We're not promising anything. Now go do your homework or something." She waved her hand toward the stairs.

"Okay," Mitchie said softly, standing and going over to the stairway. She looked over her shoulder at her parents. Her mother had her head in her hands and her dad was leaning across the empty chair to put a comforting hand on her back. "Thank you," she said. Her dad looked up at her and gave her a weak smile. Mitchie turned away again and started climbing the stairs. She hated herself for putting her parents through this, but what else could she do? They were going to notice when she all of a sudden started getting bigger and then one day came home from school with a baby.

When she got to her room, she picked up her phone to see a frantic text message from Caitlyn, saying to call her immediately. Woops. She had forgotten to warn her that she was about to tell her parents.

She dialed the number and pressed her phone to her ear, sitting on her bed.

"About time you call!" Caitlyn answered on the first ring.

"Hello to you, too," Mitchie said, slightly amused.

"Yeah, yeah, hi," Caitlyn said hurriedly. "You don't sound like you've been crying, so there are two options. One: You didn't tell them, or two: you told them, but they took it well." Pause. "So which is it?"

"The second, actually," Mitchie said, reaching over by her pillows and grabbing her teddy bear. She'd had it since she was born. It was worn and dirty, but she loved the thing, and she slept with it every night. His name was Bobby. Why? She had no clue, it just was.

"Really, now?" Caitlyn asked, letting out a low whistle. "Well that's good."

"I know." Mitchie smiled a little to herself. She was very relieved the talk had gone so well. "I even said I wanted to keep it, and they said they'd think about it."

"Damn, lucky you." Caitlyn put a stick of gum in her mouth and started to chew. "So they weren't mad at all?"

"Oh they're mad," Mitchie said, recalling her dad threatening to kill Shane. The though made her smile a little, even though that was a bit twisted. "And disappointed, but that was expected."

"Well, of course." Caitlyn popped a bubble. "Any parents would be. Do you think they'll actually let you keep it?"

"I don't know, Cay," Mitchie said, cradling Bobby like a baby, trying to imagine a real one in her arms.

"Do you honestly think you could handle it?"

Mitchie thought about it for a moment, staring down at her childhood toy. "I have no clue, Caitlyn. I really don't," she answered quietly, relief leaving her and anxiety and fear flooding back in.

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**With this story, you have to be patient. There**_** is**_** a point, and I**_** will**_** get to it…Eventually. I know, Alex isn't in it yet. Once again, patience. Give it a chance. And don't write it off because it's a pregnancy story. There's so much more to it than that.**

**Review it, loves.**


	3. Why Does Everyone Keep Asking Me That?

**Okay, going on vacation for the next two weeks or so. Wanted to get a chapter up to you guys before, so here it is. Won't have my laptop or any other means of writing with me, plus I won't want to (I want to just let go and have fun). So I won't write on vacation. I will, however, start a new chapter as soon as I get back. Please enjoy this update, and I'll see you in two weeks. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place. If I did, it would go a little something like this…

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Mitchie sat in the examination room of the doctor's office, her knuckles white from clutching the edge of her chair so hard. It was Tuesday, right after school. Her mother picked her up immediately after classes ended for her appointment to confirm her pregnancy.

She was nothing but a bundle of nerves, her breathing heavy even though she was doing no physical activity. To say she was anxious would be an understatement. This test could determine her entire future. Sure, she'd taken a pregnancy test at home that told her that her future was pretty much screwed, but those could be wrong. This was a _real_ one, from a doctor. What this one said is what mattered. There was still a chance she wasn't pregnant. She had one last shred of hope, and she was hanging onto it for dear life.

"Jeez, how long do these things take?" Mitchie's mother asked impatiently, checking her watch.

"Mom, I honestly don't care how long it takes, as long as it comes back negative," Mitchie said.

"I thought you wanted the baby." Connie quirked an eyebrow at her daughter.

"If there _is_ a baby, yes, I'd like to keep it, but I'd much rather there being no baby at all." The girl glanced nervously at the door, wondering how much longer her future would be undetermined.

"That makes no sense," Connie said.

Mitchie opened her mouth to defend herself right when the door to the exam room opened. Dr. Walters entered, his white coat a little blinding under the fluorescent lights. His hair was starting to turn gray, showing his age. He'd been the family's doctor for years, since Mitchie was born. He'd watched her grow up, always admiring what a good kid she was, which meant he was very shocked to find out the reason the sixteen year old was coming in that day.

"Well, the results are in," Dr. Walters said, giving the mother and daughter a forced smile as he sat down on a stool across from them.

"And what are they?" Connie asked, reaching for her daughter's hand. Mitchie let her mother take it and squeeze it, needing the comfort.

"They could be good or bad, depending on how you look at them." Dr. Walters scratched the back of his head, obviously stalling.

"I think you know how we'd look at them," Connie said. "So how about you just tell us?"

The doctor looked at the clipboard in his hands, flipping a paper over. "Well, all blood work came back good. She's very healthy, no sexually transmitted diseases…"

"Dr. Walters!" Mitchie exclaimed, tired of waiting. "Am I pregnant or not?" She looked at him, pleading with her eyes.

He knew the answer she wanted. It was the same answer every girl her age in this situation wanted, and he rarely ever delivered good news to these girls.

Dr. Walters sighed and ran a hand down his face. "I'm sorry, Mitchie," he said. "It's not the results you want."

A hollow feeling settled in the pit of her stomach as her face drained of all color. "So I'm pregnant, then?"

Dr. Walters nodded, a grim look painted across his visage. "I'm afraid so." He took a paper from his clipboard and handed it to the girl, who numbly took it from him. "I've made a list of the best obstetricians in the area. That is, if you decide to go through with the pregnancy…"

"She's going through with it," Connie said warily, rubbing her temples to sooth her headache that had hit her all of a sudden.

"Okay," the doctor nodded again. "Well, if you visit an obstetrician, they should be able to tell you exactly how far along you are. Based on the time of conception, we estimate you're about nine weeks pregnant."

"Shouldn't she be showing by now, though?" Connie asked, looking at her daughter's stomach.

"Not necessarily," Dr. Walters said. "Some women start showing late for their first pregnancy, but she will be showing a tad. Could you stand up please, Mitchie, and lift your shirt a little?"

Mitchie sighed, her cheeks turning pink at the thought of exposing even just a little of herself, but did as she was told. As soon as she lifted the dark green fabric, her mother gasped. Her stomach, which was usually flat, was now protruding over the top of her jeans slightly.

"How did I not notice that?" Connie asked, eyeing her daughter's small pregnancy belly.

"I did," Mitchie muttered. "That's why I've been wearing big clothes. I've been trying to hide it so no one else would notice." She let go of her shirt, smoothing it to hide her stomach again.

"You're in your first trimester of pregnancy," Dr. Walters started to explain as Mitchie sat back down. "The fetus actually has a heartbeat. Once you reach seven weeks, or two months, a face starts to develop and various vital organs. "

"Well Mitchie's at nine weeks, so what does that mean?"Connie asked. It had been sixteen years since she'd had a child, so this information needed to be relearned.

"At this point, the fingers are webbed," Dr. Walters said, gaining an odd look from Mitchie.

"So my baby looks like a frog?" She asked.

The doctor cleared his throat, avoiding the question. "I suggest you take an ultrasound when you go to the obstetrician. That way, you can see how the baby is developing. Also, you can find out the sex once you reach a certain stage of pregnancy, and figure out a course of action…Whether or not you want to have the baby naturally or have a cesarean section."

Connie took the paper with the list of doctors from Mitchie's hand. "Thank you, Dr. Walters. We will look these over, talk about it, and decide where to go from there," she said quickly, the thought of her little girl giving birth breaking her heart. "Come on, Mitchie. Let's go." She stood and left the room hurriedly, leaving Mitchie sitting there across from the Dr. Walters.

Mitchie gave the doctor a nervous smile, then hurried after her mother. She found her by the front desk, digging in her purse for her wallet to pay for the doctor's visit. She went to stand beside her, resting her elbows on the counter and placing her chin in her hands. Connie handed a bill to the receptionist, who informed her that she'd have to find the cash box to make change. Mrs. Torres sighed while she waited for the young receptionist, who obviously had no idea what she was doing, to get back with her change.

Her eyes roamed around the room until they landed on her daughter. She looked at her stomach. Her pregnancy was obvious, now that she was actually looking. How had she not seen it before? And why hadn't Mitchie told her about what happened with Shane? When did they stop communicating? How could her sweet, innocent, beautiful, talented, and intelligent little girl let this happen to her? They'd talked about sex. She thought she had made quite clear to Mitchie the consequences of sex, especially unprotected sex. But maybe she hadn't talked to her enough.

Connie looked from Mitchie's stomach to her face. She was staring at something, her brown eyes fixed towards the other side of the room. Her eyes were soft, yet there was a scared expression on her face. Connie followed her daughter's gaze to see that Mitchie was staring at a woman holding an infant in her arms. The baby looked about six months old, so she was probably in for her immunization shots. She was sitting on her mother's lap, looking around, eyes full of wonder. When she spotted Mitchie, she gave her a toothless grin. Mitchie's expression softened and a small smile crept its way to her lips and she ducked her head to look at her stomach. She moved her arm from the counter and placed her hand on her small belly.

Connie watched the interaction between Mitchie and the baby across the room, wheels in her head turning. She could tell when Mitchie saw the baby that all of her fears had come flooding back to her. But then, that baby smiled. And that somehow calmed Mitchie.

Could her daughter handle a baby? Not just having it, but also raising it? Mitchie had always been mature and responsible, with the exception of last summer. She was certainly great with kids; the neighbors praised her every time Connie met up with them. They spoke about what a wonderful babysitter Mitchie was and how much their kids loved her. But it's one thing to take care of a few children for a couple of hours at a time, then hand them back off to their parents, and another actually being there for a child 24/7, being responsible for its upbringing and its life. Then again, she and Steve could help. After all, they'd had Mitchie right after they were married, and they were married at a young age. They still had a lot of life left in them. She'd always regretted not having more children.

She shook her head, clearing the thoughts of once again holding a baby in her arms away. She couldn't think of what she wanted, or even what Mitchie wanted. The main priority was that baby. It deserved the best life possible. That meant having two loving, responsible parents that could support it…Right?

"Here's your money, Mrs. Torres," the receptionist said, returning with a few bills in her hand.

"Thanks." Connie took the money from the young blond woman and shoved it in her purse. "Come on," she said to her daughter, snapping the girl out of her trance-like state in which she was staring at her stomach.

When they got in the car, they both put their seatbelts on. Connie put her hands on the steering wheel, but made no move to start the car.

" Mom?" Mitchie asked, looking at her mother, slightly worried.

"What happened, Mitchie?" Connie asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" She asked, even though she had a pretty good idea of what her mother was questioning.

"I mean, how did you get yourself into this situation?" Connie asked, facing her daughter. "I know that I talked to you about sex and how to be responsible about it."

"Yeah, you did." Mitchie looked at her feet guiltily.

"Apparently we didn't talk enough," Connie said, her voice catching in her throat as tears started to surface. "I guess I just didn't pay attention enough. I wasn't a good enough mother."

"No, Mom, don't," Mitchie said, her guilt multiplying. "You're a great mother. And you talked to me plenty enough. I knew everything there was to know."

"Then why did you do it, Mitchie?" Connie asked, hating herself for crying in front of her daughter.

"I told you, I was drunk," Mitchie defended, even though she knew it was a terrible excuse. Her own eyes started to well with tears. She was beginning to get annoyed with herself for crying so much. "I was stupid, okay? You did nothing wrong. It was all _my_ fault. Don't blame yourself." She paused to wipe away the tears that were running down her face. "I'm sorry, Mommy."

"I know, Baby, I know," Connie said, reaching across the center console and enveloping her daughter into a hug. Mitchie wrapped her arms around her mother, allowing herself to collapse into the comforting touch. When they pulled out of the hug, each Torres woman wiped her face. "Let's get home, okay?"

"Actually, Mom, could you drop me off at Sierra's?" Mitchie asked. "I need to talk to her."

"Okay." Connie nodded. "I'll call your dad and tell him to pick you up on the way home."

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"Can I use your bathroom?" Mitchie asked a very surprised Sierra as soon as the bushy-haired girl with glasses opened the door.

"Um…Sure," Mitchie's one and only friend from school said, standing back to let the girl in.

"Thank you!" Mitchie exclaimed as she dashed into the house, running straight to the bathroom. Recently she'd been having to go more and more often. Just one of the advantages to having a fetus pressing on your bladder.

Sierra just rolled her eyes and went down the hall to her room, knowing Mitchie would find her way there eventually.

"Much better," the young singer said with a sigh of relief, entering Sierra's bedroom.

"Didn't you ask to go to the bathroom in our last period class?" The bushy haired girl asked from her desk, where she was busy doing her homework.

"So? I had to go again," Mitchie said, sitting on Sierra's bed. The bedspread was a light purple, matching the walls almost perfectly. She picked up a book from the nightstand, only to find it was about some country in Africa she had never heard of. That was always Sierra's thing: researching a different country until she knew everything about it, even a few words from the language sometimes, then moving onto the next one. Mitchie had used a phrase she'd learned from Sierra during her scheme at Camp Rock. How she'd remembered it then, she had no clue. She sure as hell couldn't remember it now. It had something to do with summer, though, she was pretty sure.

"Where did you run off to after school ended?" Sierra asked, scribbling some words in her notebook. "You ran out of the classroom as soon as the bell rang, didn't wait for me, and when I went to look for you at your locker, you were nowhere in sight."

"I had a doctor's appointment," Mitchie said, waiting to see if her friend would ask her to explain further.

"Oh." Sierra continued with her homework. "Okay then."

Mitchie sighed in exasperation. Sierra wasn't like Caitlyn, that's for sure. It's like Sierra wasn't concerned at all that something could be wrong with Mitchie, causing her to have to visit the doctor.

"Don't you want to know why?" Mitchie asked, hoping her friend would care enough to at least look up from her book.

Sierra shrugged, her eyes on the text in front of her. "A routine checkup, I assume," she said in a bored tone.

Mitchie growled a little to herself, stood, stomped across the room, and slammed Sierra's book closed.

"Hey!" The nerdy girl protested, turning in her seat.

"I'm trying to tell you something, here!" Mitchie took a breath to try to calm herself. "It's really important," she added quietly.

"What?" Sierra asked, eyes darting back and forth between the girl standing in front of her and her book, still closed, on her desk.

Mitchie sat on the floor Indian style, looking up at her friend. "I'm pregnant," she said, her voice low, watching Sierra's face closely for a reaction.

The girl stared at her blankly. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I'm going to have a baby," Mitchie said slowly.

"Are you serious?" Sierra asked, her eyes wide. Mitchie only nodded. "Wow," Sierra said, not sure what else to say.

"Yeah…" Mitchie ran a hand through her hair awkwardly. "So, um…What do you think about that?"

"I think you're insanely stupid," Sierra said quite bluntly.

"Tell me how you really feel," Mitchie deadpanned sarcastically.

"How could you let this happen?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" The brunette untangled her legs from her current sitting position and stood.

"Well, it's a shock," her friend stated. "We all thought you were smart."

"I am smart." Mitchie crossed her arms over her chest. "I just made a mistake."

"Yeah, a big one!" The curly haired girl nodded her head. "I thought you just getting fat."

"Sierra!" Mitchie frowned at her friend's brutal honesty.

"Who's the father?"

"Shane Gray."

Sierra stared at her disbelievingly. "No way."

Mitchie rolled her eyes. "Way."

"Does he know?" Sierra stood for the first time since Mitchie had entered the room.

The singer shook her head. "Nope."

"Are you going to tell him?" Sierra adjusted her glasses.

"Probably not." Mitchie shook her head again.

"Are you going to put it up for adoption?" Sierra asked.

"Maybe," Mitchie said, going to sit on Sierra's bed again. "If my parents let, I want to keep it."

"But why?" Sierra sat beside her friend. "If it can have a good life, why stand in its way?"

"And who says I wouldn't give it a good life?" Mitchie asked, slightly angry. "You know, I came over here to tell you something, hoping to get a little support." Sierra opened her mouth to say something when the sound of a car horn from the driveway cut her off. "That's my dad, I gotta go," Mitchie said, standing to leave.

"Mitchie, wait!" Sierra said, stopping the brunette in her tracks. "I'm sorry. I'm shocked, okay?"

"Everyone is," Mitchie admitted. "I don't normally mess up like this."

"No, you don't," Sierra agreed. "But I know you'll end up doing the right thing. You always do."

Mitchie smiled weakly. "Thanks." Another honk. "I have to go."

"Bye," Sierra said, hugging Mitchie lightly.

The singer pulled out of the hug and walked down the hall, out of the house, and to her dad's waiting truck, contemplating how much easier it was to talk to Caitlyn about these things.

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"Wow, Sierra sounds like a social retard," Caitlyn said after Mitchie had explained the afternoon to her over the phone.

"Hey, she's my friend. Be nice," Mitchie defended, looking at herself in the mirror. "Should I dye my hair black?"

"That would be hot." Mitchie could hear the smile in Caitlyn's voice. "But can you dye your hair when you're pregnant?"

"Caitlyn, I'm pretty sure the dye won't seep through my scalp, enter my bloodstream, and end up harming the baby," Mitchie said.

"How did you know that's what I thought would happen?"Caitlyn asked, something resembling awe in her voice.

"Because I know you!" Mitchie exclaimed as someone knocked on her door. "Hang on a sec." She put her hand over the mouthpiece. "Come in." Mr. Torres poked in head in the room. "Hey, Daddy."

"Can you come downstairs please, Mitchie?" Steve asked. "Your mother and I want to talk to you."

"Sure." She removed her hand from the mouthpiece. "I'll talk to you later, okay? My parents want to talk to me."

"Okay," Caitlyn said. "Bye, Girly, love you."

"Bye, Hun. Love you too." Mitchie hung up and looked at her father, who was staring at her oddly. "What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"Okay, then…" Mitchie muttered to herself, standing up to follow Steve out of the room. They descended the stairs together, entering the kitchen, where Connie was already waiting.

"Have a seat," she said to her daughter. Mitchie did as she was told, sitting next to mother at the same time her father was sitting down opposite her. "Your father and I have been talking, and we've made a few decisions."

"What's up?" She asked.

"We're moving," Connie said, wasting no time getting to the point.

Mitchie stared at her mother blankly for a few seconds, the information taking time to register in her brain. She was at a loss for words.

"We figured it was best for you to just have a fresh start somewhere," Connie continued when Mitchie didn't say anything.

"But I love Texas!" Mitchie exclaimed, finding her voice.

"And we do too, but let's face it," Connie said, "we're in the South, and it's very closed-minded here. The reaction to you having a baby wouldn't be very good."

"So, what, we're going to stay here until I have the baby, then run away like cowards?" Mitchie asked.

"No, it would be way too hard to move with a baby. We're going to move before you have it," Steve said.

"But why do we−" Mitchie stopped midsentence when her father's words hit her. "Wait… Did you say it would be hard to move _with_ a baby?"

Steve nodded. "Yes."

"What does that mean?" Mitchie asked, looking back and forth between her parents, who were sharing knowing glances.

"Well, Mitchie, we decided that if it's really what you want to do, you can keep your baby," Connie said, holding her hands up to stop her daughter from interrupting her. "But we're still moving no matter what!"

"Really?" Mitchie breathed out, a smile etched on her face. "I can keep it?"

"That's what I said, isn't it?" Connie looked at her husband for confirmation; he nodded.

Mitchie jumped up and took turns hugging both of her parents. "Thank you!" Then reality set in on her. "Wait, I would be starting at a new school _pregnant_?"

"Actually, we were going to look into homeschooling," Connie said.

"How can we afford that, though?" Mitchie wondered. If they didn't have the money to send her to Camp Rock, then how could they hire a private tutor, because she knew her parents weren't qualified to teach her.

"Well, we're going to have some extra money from selling the house, the hardware store, and the catering business." Steve counted them off on his fingers.

"What?" Mitchie screeched. "I can't let you sell your businesses. You love them!"

"I love to cook," Connie corrected. "I can do that anywhere."

"And owning a hardware store isn't all it's cracked up to be," Steve said. "I only opened it because there was nothing else for me to do in this town."

"Well…" Mitchie shifted in her seat. "Where are we moving to?"

Connie reached across to the empty seat and picked up something from it. She opened it and placed it on the table. Mitchie recognized it at once as a US map.

"Close your eyes and pick a place," Mrs. Torres said.

"You can't be serious," Mitchie said, staring at her mother.

"I'm dead serious," Connie said. "Now pick a place before I do."

"Okay…" Mitchie shut her eyes and put her hand out, her index finger raised. She swirled it around in the air and brought her hand down, her finger making contact with the paper map.

"Well, where's our new home?" Steve asked, trying to see around his daughter's hand.

Mitchie opened her eyes and moved her finger ever so slightly to read the words.

"New York City," she breathed out, excitement and fear spreading through every part of her body.

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**This chapter was slightly difficult for me to write. It was more of a filler chapter to close up a few things and open new ones. But next chapter should be better. Here's a little hint what it's going to be about: You guys get to meet Alex : )**

**Review, give me something to come back to.**


	4. Alex Russo, Rebel

**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place or t.A.T.u. or any of their songs.**

**Ah, my trip was amazing! Thanks so much for the reviews and good trip wishes. They are much appreciated.**

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Alex Russo was never a well-behaved child. Even as a young girl, she was always cooking up schemes to get her older brother Justin and/or her younger brother Max into trouble. And when she got to her teen years, it only got worse. She fell into a rebellious stage, much to the annoyance of her parents. Visits to dorky Principal Laritate's office were almost a daily event. Her grades were nothing short of terrible, and if she didn't have her extracurricular activities to back her up, she probably wouldn't be passing at all. But that was her sophomore year.

In her junior year, Alex refused to return to the cheer squad, which she'd been forced to join in the first place. And she was _sooo_ done with Happy Helpers club. She wasn't a kiss ass and she didn't like kiss asses, so that club wasn't for her. And you could forget about her painting another mural for the school!

The only thing Alex really cared about this year was having as much fun as possible. Over the summer, she'd come to terms with the fact that Justin was going to win the family wizard competition, so there was no point in even trying. She was going to enjoy her magic while she still had it, not a care in the world if she was being irresponsible about it.

That's the biggest thing that set Alex apart from all the other slackers in school. She was a wizard, which meant she had to _try_ to underachieve because she could zap her homework done if she really wanted to. Her father had been a wizard, but had given his powers to his younger brother Kelbo. See, in the magical community, there was a rule that there could only be one wizard within a set of children. So, since Alex was in the middle of her two brothers, once Max turned eighteen, the three Russo children would have to battle for the family's magic; the winner would become a full wizard while the other two would lose their powers forever.

All her life, Justin had been the perfect child. He balanced schoolwork and wizard lessons without even breaking a sweat. He had graduated last year as valedictorian. Never in his life had he received a B, while a B would be a miracle for Alex. Justin had even managed to complete all of his wizard lessons, which meant he got to use magic however he pleased−as long as he didn't violate wizard law, that is. But Justin would never even dream of breaking a rule, unlike his younger sister. He was the epitome of dork, in Alex's opinion.

And then there was Max. If it wasn't for him, Alex would be considered the dumb one in the family. It was hard to believe that he and Alex and Justin were born to the same parents. Everything Justin was, Alex and Max were not. Max was basically a younger, male form of Alex, just less cunning and a lot messier.

Essentially, Alex felt she and Max were no competition for Justin. So why fight fate? She would just let Justin have the family magic and use it while she could. What did it matter if she messed up big time and exposed her family as wizards? No mortals were supposed to know about wizards. The only non-mythical person that knew the family's secret (besides their human mother, that is) was Alex's weird best friend Harper that sometimes wore fruit as clothing; but she wasn't about to tell anyone. If anyone else found out about them, they'd all lose their powers. No more magic for the Russos. Too bad for Justin. Her family losing magic wouldn't really affect Alex since she was going to lose her magic anyway. So, if it didn't affect her, therefore, it didn't matter.

The only person Alex cared about was Alex, and as far as she was concerned, that was a good thing. But as far as the universe was concerned, little Miss Alex Russo needed a serious wake up call.

* * *

"Alex, you're going to get caught!" Harper Finkle said to her best friend Alex Russo. Harper put her hands on her hips, carefully avoiding the belt made of flowers she was wearing; in her red hair, there was a matching flower headband that she'd made herself, just like pretty much all of her clothes.

Alex sighed and took the cigarette she was about to light away from her lips. "Harper, I'm not going to get caught," she said, running a hand through her long, wavy black hair. "Have I ever been caught before?"

"Yes," Harper replied without hesitation.

"Like when?" Alex asked, playing with the plastic lighter in her hand.

"Pretty much every single time you've ever done something," the red head replied. "You're not as slick as you think you are, Alex."

"I am too slick!" The part Hispanic girl exclaimed. She twirled the cigarette around in her fingers. She was two years too young to purchase them, but in New York City, they were pretty easy to come by. This would be the first time she'd ever tried smoking.

"Someone's going to come in and bust you and I don't want to be here when that happens," Harper said, eyeing the door.

"And who's going to come in, Harper?" Alex snapped. "This is the most disgusting bathroom in school, and it's way at the end of the hall, the farthest one from lockers and the cafeteria. There's old, dried piss all over the floor, mold growing in the sinks, grime on the mirrors, and to top it off, only one toilet works; and the door to its stall is missing completely. No one uses this place. _Ever_. We're safe."

"Why do you want to smoke anyway?" Harper asked, changing the subject.

"Because it's a classic rebel move," Alex said sarcastically. "Just to say I've done it, okay? It's not like I want to get hooked on it or anything."

"With addiction, you don't really have a choice in the matter," Harper said flatly.

Alex glared at her friend, defiantly bringing the cigarette back up to her lips, placing it in her mouth. Harper watched with a shocked expression as the young wizard flicked on the lighter, lit the cancer stick, and took a small drag. As soon as the smoke started to make its way down her throat, Alex began to cough. The smoke didn't even have time to hit her lungs.

Pounding herself on the chest and gasping for breath, Alex caught Harper giving her an 'I told you so' look. One thing Alex hated was other people being right, especially about her. Taking a few deep breaths, she was able to get her breathing under control before taking another drag. This time, she didn't even let it get past her mouth. As soon as the smoke was in her mouth, she blew it out.

"Smooth," she said with a grin, pretending like she knew what she was talking about.

Harper rolled her eyes. "Okay, Alex, you've made your point, now put that thing out!"

"No," Alex said, moving the cigarette out of Harper's grasp when she tried to reach for it. "I want to finish it," she said, flicking the ashes in the full garbage can in the corner that probably hadn't been cleaned out since the 90's.

"Do you always have to be so stubborn?" Harper asked, very annoyed.

"Yes," Alex said with a huge, devious smile and took another drag, trying her best not to have another coughing fit. She took a few more, looking around the bathroom in disgust. "They really should clean this place. Fix it up so it's useable. I have no idea how it meets health code regulations," Alex said, glancing at her watch to see how much time was left of her lunch period.

"Uh…Alex…" Harper's eyes were the size of saucers and her face was turning pale.

"What?" Alex agitatedly asked, pushing off the wall to look where Harper was pointing. She then noticed that the trashcan she'd been using as an ash tray had a trail of smoke coming from it and the inside was lit up by flames that were starting to get larger and larger as the seconds went by. "Shit!" Alex exclaimed, rubbing the cigarette butt out on the bottom of her shoe like she'd seen in the movies.

The frantic young wizard ran over to the sinks, turning the knobs to get water to extinguish the flames. But it was no use. None of the sinks worked. Then Alex realized it wouldn't matter if they did because she had nothing to put the water in anyway.

"Harper, I don't know how to put this out!" Alex cried, heart beating like crazy with panic.

"Well… See ya in P.E.!" Harper yelled her classic line, followed by a speedy exit.

"Harper!" Alex yelled after her, but it was no use. Her friend was gone. "Some friend," the girl muttered to herself before focusing on the situation again. Thinking quickly, she took out her wand and pointed it at the flaming trashcan. As soon as she did, though, her mind went blank. "Oh God, what's that spell?" She wondered aloud, tapping the side of her head to remember. She knew she knew it; she'd used it on her vacation with her family when she ended up fixing it so that her parents had never met and she and her brothers had never been born (long story). But she could not for the life of her remember it at that moment.

A small cry of surprise escaped her lips as the entire garbage caught flame, sending a wave of heat throughout the room. Not knowing what to do, Alex did what she did best in these situations: she ran.

* * *

Alex stood outside the cafeteria doors, trying to get her bearings. She sniffed her purple t-shirt with the peace sign on the front to make sure she didn't smell like smoke; she did. Digging in her purse, she found her body spray and gave herself a few squirts with it. Sniffing herself again, she smiled. Much better. She sprayed closer to the ground and walked through the mist, just in case the smell was on her dark skinny jeans or black Converse sneakers too.

When she was sure her face held a look of calm, cool, and collective, she entered the cafeteria. A few people waved at her and she nodded in their general direction, not showing much interest. That was how she did things.

As she passed by, Harper caught her by the arm. "Did you put it out?" the red head hissed at her rebellious friend.

"Put what out?" Alex asked innocently, her brown eyes aimed across the room, where the food was being distributed.

"The fire!" Harper whisper-yelled.

"Oh, that." Alex shook her head. "Nah, I figure someone else will find it and take care of it." She started to make her way towards the food, grabbing a red, plastic tray in the process.

"Alex!" Harper trailed after her. "You need to put it out or else something bad is going to happen!"

"Like what?" Alex turned to the frantic girl with the flowers in her hair.

As soon as the question was out of her mouth, a loud siren went off throughout the school. After years and years of countless drills, the students immediately recognized it as the fire alarm. The high school students groaned and stood up, annoyed to be interrupted during feeding time; they assumed it was another pesky fire drill.

"This is _not_ a drill, people. I repeat: this is not a drill!"Mr. Laritate yelled from the doorway. "Move it!"

Once everyone realized there was an actually fire and they were in real danger, the students were rushing towards the emergency exits, pushing and shoving, trying to get out first. Alex, however, remained rooted on the spot.

"Like that!" Harper yelled over the sirens as she took Alex by the arm and started to drag her towards the doors. Once they were in the main hall, the girls looked up to see smoke starting to float from upstairs into the lower level. "Oh you've really done it this time, Alex!" Harper growled as they were pushed about by the other students to get outside.

* * *

"I have just been informed that this was _not_ an accident," Mr. Laritate stood on a bench in front of school, addressing the student body that was scattered across the sidewalks and parking lot. They had been outside for nearly two hours. No one had been permitted to leave, even if no learning was going on. "This was an act of arson. Whoever is responsible will be found, and there will be consequences!"

"Oh no!" Harper's hands went to her cheeks in fear. "What if they find out I was with you? What if they charge me too? I can' go to jail, Alex. I just can't!"

"Harper, chill," Alex said, rolling her eyes behind her aviator sunglasses. "No one's going to jail. They're not going to catch me. And even if they do, the most they'd do is give me detention for the rest of the year."

Harper looked at her skeptically for a few seconds. "You need jail," she muttered before turning away.

Alex, who had heard the comment, simply raised an eyebrow, shook her head, then started fishing in her purse for her iPod. Placing the ear butts in her ears, she pressed the play button to continue the song she'd been listening to last: 'Not Gonna Get Us' by t.A.T.u.

* * *

She smiled a little to herself. No, they weren't gonna get her. There was no way.

"I can't believe there was a fire at your school!" Theresa Russo said as she ushered her two youngest children into their New York apartment.

"Are you kids okay?" Jerry Russo asked, rushing over and running a nervous hand through his light brown hair. He'd been worried sick when they'd gotten the call to pick up the children because there had been a fire.

"We're fine, Dad," Alex said, a slight whine in her voice as her father tried to hug her. She hated being fussed over. "Quit freaking out." She poked Jerry in his small protruding belly.

"Why wouldn't we be okay?" Max asked, dropping his bag by the door.

"Because there was a fire, Max," Theresa explained. "We were afraid you might have been hurt."

"There was a fire?" Max asked in disbelief.

"Max, you were there!" Alex plopped herself down on the couch. "Why did you think the alarm went off and we were outside?"

"I thought it was a drill." Max shrugged his shoulders.

"Did you not hear Mr. Laritate yelling 'this is not a drill!' when the alarm started going off?" Alex asked her younger brother.

"Yeah, but I thought he meant something else," the boy said, scratching the back of his head, messing up his brown hair a bit.

"What else would he have meant?" Alex asked, afraid of the answer. She held up her hands to stop Max's response. "No, don't tell me. I changed my mind. I _don't_ want to know."

"I wonder how it started," Jerry said to his wife, ignoring the interaction between his children.

"I asked one of the other parents and she said the story was that it was an act of arson," Theresa said with a slight frown. "Who would do something like that?"

Jerry and Theresa looked over at Alex suspiciously, knowing her habit of causing chaos.

"Nah," they both said, shaking their heads. Alex liked to cause mischief, but she would never do anything this serious. They were talking about a felony, here! Alex had her moments, but their sweet little girl would never do something that serious.

As Jerry and Theresa went to sit beside their children on the couch, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Mrs. Russo said, trying to flatten her wavy brown hair before greeting guests and planting a warm smile on her face. She swung the door open to reveal Mr. Laritate, Max and Alex's principal, accompanied by two police officers. "Mr. Laritate," Theresa said, her smile fading. "What's going on?"

"We need to speak with Alex," the principal said, thumbs hooked in his suspenders. The guy seemed to think he was a cowboy or something.

"Is it serious?" Theresa asked, standing aside to let the three men in. She knew it was a stupid question because there were two cops with him, but she didn't know what else to say.

"This is very serious, ma'am," one of the officers, the African American, said, removing his hat to reveal short black hair.

"We don't need to tell you that there was a fire today at your child's school, I'm sure," the other said, placing his hands on his hips. He was a bit younger than his partner. He was frowning with his black eyebrows knitted together.

"Yes, I'm aware," Theresa said, her heart hammering in her chest. "What does that have to do with my daughter?" She looked over to see Alex trying to tip toe out of the room, to the wizard lair. "Alex!" she yelled, stopping the retreating girl.

The sixteen year old froze and turned around, painting an innocent smile on her face. "Yes, Mommy?"

"I'm going to ask you this once, Alex," Mr. Laritate said. "Did you have anything to do with the fire at school today?"

"No, sir," Alex said, shaking her head.

"You had to do this the hard way," the high school principal sighed.

"Miss Russo," the older officer addressed the young wizard, "when we checked the school's security cameras, we found footage of you going into the bathroom that was lit on fire earlier today, then later running out. It was very suspicious."

"We have reason to believe, reason the evidence supports, that you were the one that started the fire," the younger officer said, giving the girl a hard stare.

"Does this play VHS?" Mr. Laritate asked, pointing towards the family's VCR/DVD player.

"Yes." Jerry nodded grimly.

"Officer Davis," the principal motioned for the African American policeman to put the tape in.

The younger officer, Officer Peterson, grabbed Alex by the arm and brought her over to the couch, making her sit. He sat beside her and Mr. Laritate placed himself to her left. She was in the middle of authority, something she hated. Max sat himself in the nearby chair, very interested in seeing his sister get in trouble. Alex's parents stood behind the couch, Jerry's arm around Theresa to comfort her.

Officer Davis started the tape. When the black and white picture appeared on the screen, two girls walked into the frame. One was wearing a peace sign shirt and the other was using plants for clothing.

"That's Alex!" Max yelled, pointing to the screen and stating the obvious.

"Max!" Alex hissed at him, shooting daggers with her eyes.

The two girls on screen looked around cautiously before going into the bathroom, the dark haired one doing one last quick survey before pulling her head inside.

"Looks pretty suspicious to me," Peterson said, looking at Alex.

The sixteen year old just gave him a blank expression while Davis fast forwarded through the shot of the empty hall until he saw someone run out of the bathroom. He rewound and paused so that the girl was still in the frame.

"Who's that?" he asked, pointing at the screen.

"That's Alex's sidekick, Harper Finkle," Mr. Laritate clarified. "My guess is that she's innocent. Probably got dragged into the scheme against her will."

Alex scoffed and rolled her eyes. It's not like Harper didn't have free will or anything. She _chose_ to be in that bathroom. She didn't have to go in the first place if she didn't want to.

Davis gave Alex a hard look before starting the tape again. After about another thirty seconds, the on-screen Alex ran from the bathroom, while the real life Alex kept her eyes on her Converse, intent on keeping them there. The officer then fast forwarded until a teacher appeared on the screen. The teacher sniffed the air, opened the bathroom door, stuck her head in, quickly pulled it out, coughing, and staggered toward the fire alarm, which she pulled. Davis then stopped the tape.

"So," he said, "the last person to exit the bathroom before it was found ablaze was you." He pointed at the girl.

Theresa groaned, burying her face in Jerry's shoulder.

"Start talking, Russo," Laritate said, looking at his favorite student (despite all the problems she caused) with cold eyes.

Alex sighed, knowing it was no use; she'd have to come clean. "Okay, ya got me. I did it."

"Ugh…Guh…Errr… Alex!" Jerry sputtered, unable to form decent words.

"How did you start the fire?" Officer Peterson asked, taking out his notepad to take notes.

"I was smoking," Alex said, earning a wail from both of her parents.

"Smoking?" Theresa exclaimed, lifting her head from her husband's shoulder. "Alex! What did we tell you about that?"

"It kills?" Alex questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Exactly!" Jerry nodded, his face red and a vein popping out in his head. "So why would you do it?"

"To say I've done it?" Alex stated in a way that made it sound like a question, shrugging her shoulders. "Anyway, I was flicking my ashes into the trashcan, and I guess it caught fire or something."

Officer Peterson snorted while writing. "Or something," he muttered.

Alex glared at him before continuing. "I didn't have any way to put it out, so I panicked and ran."

"Why didn't you pull the fire alarm?" Davis asked.

"I didn't want to get caught," Alex admitted.

Davis sighed and stroked his mustache. "Well, Laritate, what do you want to do? Press charges?"

Alex's eyes went wide, fear evident in the deep brown orbs. She looked at her principal, silently pleading for him to be reasonable. Laritate stared at her, torn. He'd always liked Alex, even if she did mess up more than she succeeded. He knew deep down, she was a good kid. He didn't think she deserved jail, even if she would probably benefit from it. But he loved the Russos. They'd been his favorite family since Justin had started at the school.

"No," he said slowly, "no charges."

Alex smiled gratefully as her parents sighed in relief. The officers, however, were furious.

"What?" Peterson asked, gripping his pencil so tightly he almost broke it.

"As administrator of the institution, I refuse to press chargers," Laritate said. "Your services are no longer needed. Thank you, officers."

Davis and Peterson shook their heads at each other. Peterson stood up and stormed out of the apartment; he hated seeing people get away with crimes. Davis grabbed the tape out of the VCR, threw it in Laritate's lap, then followed his partner out the door, slamming it behind him.

"Thank you, Mr. Laritate!" Alex said, loosely wrapping her arms around her principal to show her gratitude.

"How could you, Alex?" the principal stood, getting out of the hug.

"I didn't mean to," Alex said, hanging her head a little.

"That's not going to cut it this time, Russo!" Mr. Laritate ran a hand over his face. "There has to be consequences."

Alex nodded. "I know… So detention for the rest of the year?" Her principal shook his head. "A week's suspension?" she asked.

"Alex, I'm sorry, but I have no choice but to expel you," Mr. Laritate said.

"Expel me?" Alex exclaimed. "Come on, Mr. Laritate. I know I screwed up, but you can't do this to me!"

"You did this to yourself Alex," he said. "Starting tomorrow, you are never allowed to step foot on the school grounds again. I'll send your belongings from your locker home with Max tomorrow." He looked at Jerry and Theresa. "I'm sorry, my hands are tied."

"No, we understand," Jerry said quietly. "Thank you for not pressing charges. We really appreciate it." He stuck out his hand for Laritate to shake, which he did.

"No problem." He took one last look at Alex. "Have a good life, Russo," he said before turning and leaving.

Alex stood there with her mouth hanging open slightly, shocked. She turned slowly to her parents. "Mom, Dad…"

Jerry reached over the side of the couch and grabbed Alex's purse. He stuck his hand in it, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. He looked at his daughter sternly. "Room…Now," was all he managed to say, crumpling the cardboard container in his hand angrily. Alex started to make her way there when Jerry stopped her. "Wait." She turned to him. Jerry stuck out his hand that wasn't holding the cigarette carton. "Wand."

Alex gasped, her hand going to the back of her jeans, where her wand was safely tucked. "Dad, no."

"Now, Alex!" Jerry yelled, his anger getting the best of him.

Alex slowly pulled her wand out, placing it in her father's hand. Jerry snatched it, and, to Alex's horror, snapped it in two.

"No more magic until further notice," he said before turning away from his stunned family and going over to the trashcan, throwing the crumpled carton of cigarettes into it along with the broken wand.

Alex bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes. She turned and ran to the stairs, running up the spiral staircase as quickly as she could. She went straight to her room and slammed her door. Not because she was angry, but because she was frightened. Sure, she'd made mistakes before, but never this bad. And she'd never seen her father so angry before. He'd prohibited her from using magic before, even taken her wand, but he'd never, _ever_ broken it.

She switched off the lights, making her room completely dark. She went over to her bed, crawling into the safety of her blankets and buried her face in her pillow.

"I really messed up this time," she muttered into the white fluffiness, overwhelmed with stupidity.

* * *

"You set the school on fire?" Justin asked, rushing into his younger sister's room, switching on the light in the process.

Alex, who had been taking a nap, sat up, very agitated from being woken up. "Justin, get out!" she threw a pillow at him.

Justin ducked, the pillow narrowly missing his head. It brushed over his brown hair, which he had gelled to stick up. "Well someone's in a grumpy mood." He sat on the edge of his sister's bed.

"What part of 'get out' do you not understand?" Alex asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Heard you got expelled, too," Justin said, receiving a nod from the sleepy girl. "What the hell were you thinking, Alex? How could you be so irresponsible?"

"Are you _trying _to make me feel worse, Justin?" Alex snapped. "Because if you are, you can leave. In fact, just leave. For the third time, I don't want you in here, so get out!" She pointed towards the door.

Justin ignored his sister's demand. "Did Dad take your wand?" he asked, knowing the usual punishment.

Alex brought her knees up to her chest, the sheet still over them, and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin atop. "He didn't just take it, he snapped it in two. And then he threw it in the garbage."

The eldest Russo gasped. "He _didn't_."

"Yeah, he did." Alex sighed. "You'd know this if you'd been here. Which, thinking of it… Where the hell have you been for the past," she checked the clock, "three hours?"

"Four hours, actually," Justin corrected. "I was in the wizarding world."

"'Kay…?" Alex asked, waiting for clarification.

"I was in one of those realms that times goes by a lot faster in," Justin said. "In this world, a year equals an hour in our time."

"So you're four years older now?" Alex raised an eyebrow.

"No," Justin said, shaking his head. "Since I'm from this world, I age like I would here no matter where I go. I was just able to fit in four years of life into four human world hours. But it still _felt_ like four years."

"What the hell took you four years?" Alex asked, frowning.

"I completed college," Justin said with a smug smile, holding up a certificate Alex just then noticed he'd been holding. "I am now a certified teacher."

"Of what?" Alex asked skeptically.

"Of English, math, science, history… Every school subject," Justin said defensively.

"Why would you get a degree you could get in our world in the wizarding world?" Alex took the certificate from Justin and looked at it.

"Because it was a lot faster, duh." Justin rolled his eyes.

"But why not get a job that you could do as a wizard?" Alex handed the certificate back. "Like the monster hunting thing you did?"

"I'm still planning to go to a university to learn wizard skills later in life, I just wanted to have a back up human job in case I lose the wizard competition," Justin said.

"Justin, you're not going to lose," Alex said, rolling her eyes like her brother had done earlier. "In case you haven't noticed, Max and I are no match for you. Plus, I don't even know if Dad's going to let me do magic ever again after today."

"Maybe," he said, glancing over at the clock. "I gotta go. See ya later."

"Where are you going now? Back to the wizarding world to attend medical school?" Alex asked, kneeling on her bed.

"No," Justin said when he reached the door. "I'm meeting with some people about possibly home schooling their daughter. Because I can do that now. Because I'm a certified teacher. Yeah. That's where." He smiled smugly again before exiting the room.

"Show off," Alex muttered before settling down under the covers and grabbing a magazine off her bedside table. She flipped through the pages for a few minutes before an idea started forming in her mind. As it worked its way out in her brain, a small smile started to form on her lips. "Hey, that could work," she said to herself, sitting up excitedly.

She threw the covers off her legs and jumped out of bed, dashing for the door. She ran down the hall and down the stairs, taking them two at a time. She skidded to a halt when she landed in the living room. Her parents were sitting on the couch, talking quietly. They looked up when she came down, both frowning slightly at her, letting her know they were still angry. Alex approached them slowly.

"Okay, I know you're super angry at me right now, but I have a really great idea!" she said, a small smile on her face.

* * *

**Oh goodness, what is that child up to now? …I know, but you don't. Ha, sucks for you. ;)**

**Personally, I really like this chapter. I'm quite proud of myself.**

**Review.**


	5. Oh Joy, Alex Has Another Plan

**I love it when you guys tell me what's going to happen, like I don't know or something xD It's really funny and entertains me.**

**I am very upset that pretty much no one is updating their stories anymore. So I have nothing to read and no reason to procrastinate, so **_**I**_** have to write in order to have something to do. You know it's terrible when **_**I**_** start making people look bad by updating more often. I am a terrible updater! And if you are currently working on a story that I'm reading and are reading this, as soon as you finish this chapter, GO WRITE, DAMN IT! I need more things to read :/**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place. Both are property of Disney.

* * *

**

"I thought I told you to go to your room." Jerry looked at his daughter with a deep frown on his face.

"Yes, okay, you did, but while I was there, I Justin came in, we talked, then I was looking through my magazine, and I got an idea!" Alex said, rambling a bit.

"Oh boy," Jerry said with fake cheerfulness. "Because your last idea to smoke in the girls' room went over so well! Please, tell us, Alex. I'm all ears." He held his hand up to his ear dramatically.

Alex crossed her arms and sighed at her father's immaturity. "Alright, I admit it. That was the stupidest thing I've ever done. I'm ashamed."

"Why are you ashamed?" Jerry asked, never knowing his daughter to feel bad about her schemes.

"The fact that I did it," the sixteen year old said, looking down at her feet.

"Why?" Theresa pressed.

"Because it was such a cliché!" Alex averted her eyes upward, shaking her head. "I mean, really? Smoking in the girls' room? What was I thinking?"

"So you're not ashamed of the actual smoking, but the location you chose?" Theresa asked slowly, trying to understand.

Alex shrugged a little. "Yeah, pretty much."

"Alex, smoking on school property is illegal, first of all!" Jerry shouted, standing up. "Second, you are not even old enough to purchase cigarettes. So add that to the list of laws you've broken. Next, setting the school on fire is a _felony,_ and you are lucky those cops were too stupid to realize that even though Mr. Laritate didn't want to press charges, they still could have arrested you! Not to mention, you smoked in the first place! Your mother and I have told you how hazardous it can be to your health!"

"Alright, alright, I get it! Sheesh." Alex held her hands up to make her father stop. "Can I tell you my idea or not?"

"I really don't want to hear it right now, Alex." Jerry's face was slowly turning from red to purple as his anger rose. "Right now, your mother and I are trying to figure out whether or not we should send you to military school!"

"School! That's what I want to talk to you about," Alex said quickly, hoping her parents weren't serious about the whole military school thing. They'd brought it up before, but never gone through with it. Then again, she'd never almost burned down the school before.

"What's there to talk about? You've been expelled, remember?" Jerry sat down again, letting himself sink into the couch cushions. "Now we need to find a new place to send you."

"You might not have to send me anywhere!" Alex exclaimed, a sly smile on her face.

"You are _not_ dropping out," Theresa said sternly, pointing a finger at her daughter. "You will at least finish high school. Whether or not you are even able to go to college, we'll see when the time comes. But you _will_ get a high school diploma no matter how long it takes!"

"That's not what I meant, Mom," Alex said. "I mean, I can get my education right here." She pointed to the floor for emphasis.

"And how would you do that, Alex?" Jerry asked, somewhat interested.

"Justin can teach me!" the teenager said, sitting in the arm chair with a smug smile. "He went into the wizard world and received a degree to be a teacher. He's qualified. He can home school me. And for free, too."

"He's meeting with possible clients right now," Jerry said. "If they're smart, they'll hire him. Let's see, what would Justin choose? A job with a good kid that he can earn money from, or trying to teach his younger, miss-behaved, sister for free? I'm thinking he won't choose you."

"Besides, you wouldn't let Justin teach you anyway," Theresa added. "You'd find any excuse you could to get out of work. And you would torture your brother while you're at it."

"No, I wouldn't. How about whatever I earn from working in the sub shop goes to Justin?" Alex offered, feeling desperate.

"I don't pay you to work in the sub shop," Jerry said, furrowing his brow.

"Well maybe you should start," Alex said.

"That still wouldn't be enough." Theresa shook her head. "Private tutors are very expensive. I'm sure Justin could make twice as much in an hour than you could offer him for an entire session."

"Your mother's right," Jerry agreed. "You only work for a few hours after school and on the weekends. If I were to pay you, it would be minimum wage. That's only about thirty dollars a day at most. Home school teachers cost," he tried to figure out the amount in his head, "a lot more than that!"

"Besides, Justin is probably accepting a job offer right now as we speak. Just forget it, Alex," Theresa said, turning to her husband. "It's been a rough day. You deserve pie. Do you want pie?"

Jerry's face lit up at the mention of the dessert. "I can have pie?"

"Yes." Theresa smiled a little at how her husband was so easily distracted. "I think you've earned it. What kind of pie would you like?"

"Apple," Jerry said happily.

Theresa patted his knee affectionately before standing up and going to the kitchen. Alex sighed and moved to the seat beside her father on the couch.

"Let's say Justin does end up tutoring this kid," she said. "Private tutoring only takes a few hours, not a whole day like regular school since the teacher only has one kid to focus on. That means he'd only be working part of the day. He could take that kid in the morning and me at night. Or the other way around." Alex considered this for a few moments. "You know, on second thought, he better take me at night. I am _not_ waking up early if I don't have to."

"And when did you plan on working in the sub shop?" Jerry raised his eyebrows at his daughter, stretching his arm over the back of the couch.

Alex sighed heavily and dramatically. "Fine, if I _have_ to, I'll work in the restaurant in the morning."

"Well what if this little girl's parents want her tutored in the afternoon?" Jerry asked. "Then what, Alex?"

"Then Justin will take me in the morning and I'll work in the afternoon!" Alex said, rolling her eyes a bit. "It's flexible."

"I don't know, Alex." Jerry shook his head. "It seems to me that we'd be rewarding you for committing a felony."

"Trust me, making me spend time with Justin is _not_ a reward." She looked at her father. "So, can we give it a shot? Please?"

Jerry looked over to Theresa, who was busy putting the pie in the oven. She caught her husband's eye and nodded reluctantly. Jerry turned his attention back to his daughter.

"We'll ask Justin," he said. Alex immediately pumped her fist in the air triumphantly. "But that doesn't mean he'll agree," Jerry said, cutting his daughter's victory short.

"Oh, he'll agree." Alex smiled mischievously. "He has to." Without another word, she stood from the couch and went over to the stairs, bounding up them almost as quickly as she'd descended.

"I don't want to know what she's up to," Jerry said, pointing towards the stairs.

"Me either," Theresa agreed.

* * *

"Hi, I'm Justin Russo," Justin said, shaking hands with the couple that had called him in to meet about homeschooling their daughter.

"I'm Connie, and this is my husband, Steve," Connie Torres said, shaking hands with the smiling young man before her.

"And this is our daughter, Mitchie," Steve placed a hand on the teenager's shoulder.

Mitchie looked up at Justin shyly under her bangs. "Hi," she said quietly. When her parents told her they'd be getting her a private tutor, they never told her he'd be so close to her own age. He looked like he'd just graduated from high school.

"Please, sit down," Connie said, gesturing to the living area.

The family of three and Justin moved from the kitchen of the small New York apartment to the connected living room. As Justin looked around, it was quite obvious to him that the family had just moved in. The couches still had plastic wrap over them from the trip over and there were boxes scattered everywhere.

"Sorry for the mess," Steve apologized, taking a seat on the couch. "We're still getting settled."

"It's fine." Justin offered a smile. "I understand." He sat in an arm chair off to the side, letting the family sit together on the couch.

"Let's get to know each other, shall we?" Connie smiled nervously. "How old are you, Justin?"

"I'm eighteen," Justin said. This is where he knew he had a lot of explaining to do. He couldn't exactly tell them he'd gotten his teaching certificate in the wizard world without exposing himself as a wizard. So how could he explain his young age? He couldn't say he graduated high school early. A simple background check would prove that false. So there was only one thing to do when it came to explaining his college education: lie.

"That's a little young to be a certified teacher," Steve said, frowning a bit.

"Well, I'm exceptionally bright. While still in high school, I was taking night classes and other online courses for college credits. I earned my teaching degree not long ago," Justin lied smoothly. Maybe he was related to Alex, after all. _Not long ago_. He tried not to smile to himself. Try an hour ago. He'd been so confident he'd get his degree that he'd placed an ad for a private teacher and set up a meeting with the Torres family before he'd even gone to school.

"That's rather impressive." Connie exchanged a surprised look with her husband.

"No offense, Justin, but we were expecting someone a little older," Steve said, hoping not to hurt the boy's feelings.

"I understand," Justin said. "But I've brought here a complete list of references." He placed a brief case on the coffee table, popping it open. He then took out three laminated copies of references and handed them to each Torres.

"Wow," Connie breathed, scanning the list.

"You can call any one of my former teachers and they will tell you−"

"That won't be necessary," Steve said, cutting him off.

Justin cleared his throat, straightening his tie. He'd worn a suit−dress to impress. "What time were you interested in me teaching Mitchie?"

"Mostly in the morning, but we need a flexible schedule." Connie placed the paper back on the coffee table. "For doctors' appointments and such."

"Perfect," Justin said, nodding. "Do you plan on Mitchie going to appointments very often?"

Mitchie looked at her parents, then at the young man they were interviewing. They did know she was still in the room, right?

"Probably," Connie said, nodding, trying to figure out how to proceed with this delicate situation.

"Does she have a medical condition that I should know about?"

All three Torreses exchanged a look.

"I'm pregnant," Mitchie said shyly, finding it hard to look Justin in the eye. "Is that going to be a problem?"

Justin, not expecting that, almost choked on his own spit. His eyes darted back and forth from Mitchie's stomach to her face as his own turned red. Looking closely, he realized it was a little obvious and felt stupid for not noticing before. "No, not at all," he said, his voice a little higher than normal.

"Are you sure?" Connie asked.

Justin cleared his throat, gaining his composure and praying his voice would be deeper when he spoke again. "Yeah, I'm sure," he said, his voice back to normal. "So you're in what grade?" he asked, trying to keep his cool.

"Eleventh," Mitchie said.

"Oh, that's the same grade as my sister," Justin said, making conversation.

"Are you qualified to teach at that level?" Steve asked.

"Yes sir." Justin nodded. "I am qualified to teach all high school grades."

"What were your grades like in school?" Connie asked curiously.

"I had all A's."

"Me too," Mitchie said, smiling a little. It was always nice to meet someone else who took their schoolwork seriously.

"So when you teach Mitchie, you will do it here," Connie said. "How's nine a.m. sound?"

"You mean I got the job?" Justin asked, a little surprised and excited.

Connie nodded. "You got the job."

* * *

"Great news!" Justin exclaimed, walking through the door of his home.

Jerry looked up for his third slice of pie, interested. "What is it, Justin?"

"I got the job!" Justin dropped his brief case by the door, smiling triumphantly.

Jerry put down his plate and fork and rushed over to his son. "That's fantastic, Justin!" He gathered Justin up in a hug. This meant there was less of a chance Justin would be able to teach Alex. The very idea scared Jerry half to death.

"What's this about?" Theresa asked when she entered the room and spotted her husband hugging their eldest son.

Jerry let go of Justin, but kept his arm over his shoulder. "Justin got the job!"

"Oh thank God!" Theresa placed her hand over her heart, very relieved. "I mean, that's wonderful!"

"Wow, guys," Justin said smiling, "I didn't know you'd be this happy for me."

Jerry and Theresa exchanged a knowing glance. Yes, they were happy for Justin. But they were also happy that Alex's plan had less of a chance of succeeding. They'd agreed at the time because it was easier than arguing, but had regretted it ever since.

Alex, having heard the door open, came dashing down the stairs. "Is that Justin?" she called on the way down. When she got to the landing and spotted her brother, she smiled sweetly. "Justin, hi."

"What do you want?" Justin immediately responded, knowing Alex was only ever nice when she wanted something.

"Can't a sister say hi to her brother without wanting something?" Alex feigned hurt.

"Normal sisters, yes. You, no." Justin glared at her. "What is it?"

"Shame on you, brother!" Alex pointed at him. "I was just trying to take an interest in your life and you accuse me of wanting something! That hurts. Right here." She placed her hand over her heart.

Justin sighed, deciding to play along. "Okay, Alex. If you're so interested in my life, what would you like to know?"

"How did your meeting with the family go?" She walked over to her brother, taking him by the arm and leading him to the couch and making him sit, soon after taking a seat beside him. "Tell me all about it."

"Well, I introduced myself, we talked about my education and qualifications, and then they offered me the job." Justin smiled a little, loving to brag about his success.

"Did you take it?" Alex asked, trying not to look panicky.

"Yes." Justin nodded.

"Shoot!" Alex frowned.

"Excuse me?" the eldest Russo looked at his younger sister.

"Alex was hoping you wouldn't get the job so you could teach her instead," Jerry clarified.

"Absolutely not!" Justin exclaimed, standing up. "I am not teaching you!" He pointed at Alex.

"Come on, Justin!" she stood up as well. "It will only take you a few hours to tutor this kid. You could take her in the morning and me in the afternoon, or the other way around. I'll even pay you!"

"No, Alex." Justin shook his head. "I have Mitchie scheduled in the morning and I'm monster hunting at night."

"You still do that?" Alex crossed her arms over her chest. "I thought you quit after you lost Juliet."

"You promised never to speak of that again!" Justin straightened his suit, trying not to show how flustered he was. "And it's different now. I'm no longer doing it as an independent study. It's a job. They're paying me."

"Looks like you're out of luck, Alex," Jerry said, trying to change the subject. "So, Justin, tell us about the kid you're going to be teaching. Mindy, you said her name was?"

Justin shook his head. "Her name's Mitchie. And she's not a kid. She's almost as old as I am. She's in eleventh grade."

"That's the same grade as me!" Alex cut in, an idea suddenly coming to her. "Hey, you could teach us at the same time! Like a class with two students!"

"No way!" Justin frowned. "I don't think her parents would appreciate it if I brought in my delinquent sister while they're paying me to educate their daughter."

"It's not like I'm going to corrupt her or something," Alex said. "Besides, she probably needs a social life. Home school kids are super weird. It would probably be good for her."

"It's not like that, Alex." Justin sighed.

"You probably don't think she's weird because you're weird too." Alex put her hand on her brother's shoulder. "She's been home schooled her whole life, right?"

Justin shook his head again. "No, this would be her first year being home schooled."

"That's odd." Alex frowned. "Not many kids go into home schooling this late. What's the case? Is she a total dweeb and her parents got tired of her being picked on?"

"No, that's not it."

"Then what is it?" Alex persisted.

"She's pregnant, okay?" Justin yelled, his sister getting on his last nerve.

Alex was silent for a few moments before a smile broke out across her face. "Perfect! With the mess she's gotten herself into, she and her parents will have no room to judge me! I can't corrupt the corrupted."

"She's not a bad kid, Alex," Justin said. "I don't know the story, but if I had to guess, I'd say she just made a mistake."

"And so did I," Alex said. "And we're both paying for them." She looked at Justin expectantly. "Come on, give me a chance here." She took a step closer so her parents wouldn't hear. "Please don't let them send me to military school."

Justin glanced down at his sister and saw the desperation in her eyes. He sighed. "Fine, I'll ask if they wouldn't mind if you joined the sessions, but I can't promise anything."

Alex squealed and threw her arms around her brother. "Thank you! You're the best!" she said before letting go and running to the stairs again.

"No, I'm a sucker," Justin muttered to himself as he watched his sister bounce up the stairs, a pleased smile on her face.

* * *

**Not my favorite chapter, but it had to be done so I could move on with the story.**

**Review it, eh?**


	6. I Can't Believe I'm Doing This

**Disclaimer: Camp Rock and Wizards of Waverly Place are not owned by me, sadly.

* * *

**

Justin ran back and forth across his room nervously, from his dresser to his closet. He was wearing nothing but his boxers, frantically trying to figure out something to wear for his first day of homeschooling. He wanted to look sophisticated, but not like he was trying too hard. The hard part (the interview), was over, so now he just had to prove himself. But how could he do that in his normal simple t-shirt and jeans?

"This is hopeless!" Justin wailed, filing through his closet of color coordinated shirts and pants.

"Justin, what are you doing?" Alex exclaimed, slamming his door open and stomping into the room.

"Alex!" Justin squealed, his hands flailing to try to cover his body.

"Ew! My eyes! I can't unsee that!" the girl shielded her eyes with her hands. "Put some clothes on!"

Justin scrambled to pull his pajama bottoms, which had been discarded neatly on his bead, back on, falling over himself in the process. He then thrust his arms through the sleeves of his pajama shirt and buttoned it as fast as he could, missing a few buttons as he went.

"Okay, you can look now," the embarrassed boy grumbled.

Alex peeked from behind her hands to make sure he brother was clothed, then dropped them to her sides. "And you were naked because…?"

"I was trying to find something to wear for my first day," he answered, then checked the clock on his bedside table. It was only roughly 7:30. He still had plenty of time. "And you're awake because…?" he asked, mocking his sister a bit by making his voice high pitched to sound like hers.

Alex was never one to wake up early if she didn't have to. Noon to her was like two a.m. to a normal person. She was nocturnal. Justin examined his younger sister. She had on an old t-shirt and a pair of boxers, her normal sleepwear, and her hair was a curly mess. She'd obviously just woken up.

"I'm awake because some idiot was groaning and running across his room in the middle of the night!" Alex glared at Justin.

"It's morning," he corrected, crossing his arms over his chest and nodded towards the window, where a few rays of light were seeping into the room past his curtains.

"Maybe for you!" Alex yawned. "Could you be a little more considerate? I'm sleeping and my room is right next to yours, you know!"

"Well, Alex, maybe if you slept at the same time as normal humans do, you wouldn't have this problem," Justin replied with fake sweetness.

"You? Normal?" She snorted. "Yeah, that's laughable."

"Ooh, laughable. Big word. Very good, Alex." Justin clapped his hands together and gave his sister a mocking grin.

Alex glared at her brother for a few moments before barking, "Keep it down!" She then turned on her heel, making her way towards the door. On her way out, she paused to swat one of Justin's many trophies off his dresser. It hit the ground with a _clang_. Satisfied, the sixteen-year old smirked and slammed her brother's bedroom door behind her.

It wasn't until she was in the hall that she remembered she needed his help.

"Shoot!" she muttered to herself before turning around and sticking her head back into the bedroom. "Hey, Justin?" she asked in her sweetest voice possible.

Justin was busy placing his trophy back on top of his dresser in its exact previous position. He didn't even look at his sister, his too mind preoccupied. "Hmm?"

"Don't forget to ask the Torreses about you tutoring me and Mitchie at the same time, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Justin said, still not focused on his sister.

"Thanks. Well, goodnight." Alex quickly pulled her head out of the room and closed the door before Justin could change his mind.

When he heard the door close, Justin was pulled out of his trance. He went over the brief conversation in his head. "Oh crap! I can't believe I am doing this for her!"

Alex returned to her room and fell into her bed with a satisfied sigh, ready to sleep away the rest of the day.

* * *

At promptly nine a.m. sharp, Justin knocked on the door of apartment 4B. He'd decided on a classic white button down shirt, a slender black tie hanging loosely from his neck, jeans, and a plain pair of sneakers. He anxiously ran a hand through his once again gelled-to-stick-up brown hair while waiting for someone to answer his knock. Connie Torres opened the door, a surprised look making its way to her face when she saw her daughter's new home school teacher standing there.

"Justin, what are you doing here?' she confusedly asked.

Justin's smile wavered as panic began to overtake him. Had he gotten the times mixed up? "You said nine a.m., right?"

"Yes." Connie nodded slowly.

"And you wanted me to start today?" Justin pointed to the floor, trying to emphasize 'today.'

"Yes." Connie nodded again. "I just don't understand why you're here so early."

Justin checked his watch. Yes, it was nine o'clock on the dot. "Oh, you mustn't have set your clocks or watches to the new time!" He said, thinking he'd figured out the confusion. "Where are you originally from?"

"Texas," Connie said, taking a step back to let the boy in. "Come on in."

"Thank you." He entered the apartment, Mrs. Torres shutting the door behind him. "That's it, then. New York is an hour ahead of Texas. You must think it's only eight."

Justin smiled and waved to Mitchie, who was busy organizing her new school books on the table. She gave him a slight smile and waved back, then continued to shuffle the texts around.

"No," Connie said, getting Justin's attention again. "I know that it's nine. I just didn't expect you to be here exactly on time."

"Why wouldn't I be on time?" Justin asked, confused once again.

"Not many people are." Connie shrugged. She exited the kitchen area and crossed through the living room to a doorway that led to a small hallway. "Steve, Justin's here!" she called towards the master bedroom.

The sound of a door opening could be heard from the kitchen of the small apartment, followed by hurried footsteps.

Steve Torres entered the living room, still trying to tie his tie. "Hi, Justin," he said, not looking up from the tangled mess around his neck. "How the heck do you tie these things again?" he muttered to himself. Owning a hardware store never required him to dress up much, so tying a tie wasn't something he was used to. His father had tried to teach him time and time again how to do it, he'd just never caught on. In fact, the last time he'd worn a tie was for his father's funeral. Luckily, Mitchie's grandfather had taught her the skill, so she was able to tie her father's tie that day. And today, Steve's only hope was his sixteen-year-old daughter. He sighed and put his hands on his hips in defeat. "Mitchie, can you help your old man out?"

Mitchie smiled and rolled her eyes a little, amused at her father's ineptness with clothing. "Of course." She got up from the table and went over to her father, immediately setting to work on undoing the knot he'd created.

"Big day, Mr. Torres?" Justin asked, trying to make conversation.

"That it is, Justin," he answered, keeping his chin up while Mitchie worked with the garment around his neck. "Today is my first day as general manager of the local Home Depot," he said proudly. "Eleven years of experience owning a hardware store does not go unnoticed when you go to interview for a management position of a chain of hardware stores." Mitchie finished with his tie and Steve straightened it out, pulling it to the tightness he needed. "Remember that," he told Justin seriously, as if the boy would ever use the information.

"Yes, sir," Justin said, nodding quickly out of respect.

"Well, I just wanted to wait until Justin got here before I left for work," Mr. Torres went on, grabbing his brief case off the couch. "I'll be going now. Wish me luck."

"Good luck, Daddy." Mitchie smiled sweetly and hugged her father around the waist.

"Thanks, Pumpkin." He kissed his daughter atop her head before leaning over and giving his wife a quick peck on the lips. "Bye, Sweetheart."

"Bye." Connie smiled, opening the door for her husband.

"Oh, before you go, Mr. Torres, there was something I needed to talk to you about," Justin said quickly, remembering the unpleasant question he had to ask of this family that was so nice to give him a chance.

Mrs. Torres, sensing this was serious, shut the door again. "Yes, Justin, what is it?"

"I don't know how to put this, so I'm just going to say it." He took a deep breath. "My sister wanted me to ask you if it would be okay if I taught her and Mitchie at the same time."

"The same time meaning…?" Connie trailed off, waiting for Justin to clarify.

"Here, together," he said. "They're in the same grade, if that helps."

"Why?" Mr. Torres wanted to know. "Couldn't you take her at a later time?"

Justin shook his head. "This is my day job. At night I have a…." he thought quickly, "job with the police. I capture dangerous…creatures…"He cleared his throat, hoping it wasn't obvious that he wasn't telling them the full truth. Yes, he was catching dangerous creatures, but they probably thought he meant criminals. He really meant monsters. But he couldn't tell them that. Then he'd be exposing himself as a wizard.

"Is there anyone else to teach your sister?" Connie asked, not liking the idea of another child getting in the way of Mitchie's education.

Justin shook his head. "She was expelled from public school, and no private school in their right mind would take her." When the looks of alarm went to the Torres' faces, especially Mitchie's, he quickly added, "Okay, I know that sounds bad, but it's really not too bad. She was expelled for smoking." That seemed to calm the family a little until Justin said, "and accidentally setting the school on fire by doing so."

Mitchie's jaw dropped somewhat. "That school fire story on the news last night was caused by your _sister_?"

Justin's cheeks blushed furiously. He was embarrassed to be related to Alex sometimes. "Yeah. She's a bit misguided. And now my parents want to send her to military school."

"Maybe they should," Connie muttered, regretting it when she saw the look on Justin's face. She'd clearly hurt his feelings.

"With all due respect, Mrs. Torres, I know my sister. She wouldn't benefit from military school. It would ruin her." He couldn't believe he was sticking up for his sister. "Alex is so free-spirited and talented. She paints some of the most amazing works of art I've ever seen. She can't work with structure, which is all military school is. Discipline doesn't work with her. She acts out against it, and to be honest, it's my fault. All my life, I've excelled in everything I've done, except sports…And women, but that's not the point. The point is, Alex has lived in my shadow her entire life. And because people expect so much from her after seeing me, she has to do the opposite of what's expected. So she acts out and causes mischief because she doesn't think she's as smart as me, so she doesn't try. But I know she has the potential to brilliant, if someone would just take the time to show her that."

All three Torresses stared at him with blank expressions.

"I minored in childhood psychology," Justin explained, smiling smugly.

"I don't know," Connie said, shaking her head a bit. "This would be a risk. I don't want Mitchie getting distracted by…by…" she searched for the right word.

"A delinquent?" Justin offered.

"I was going to say someone who isn't as focused as her," Connie defended, not wanting to offend Justin again.

"Alex is just a kid that has made a few…dozen…bad choices." His eyes landed on Mitchie. "Kids make mistakes. It's what they do," he said, holding the girl's gaze.

Mitchie's cheeks turned a shade of pink as she looked away.

"I'm with my wife," Steve said. "I'm not sure if that would be a good idea…"

"It might be good for me," Mitchie said, still looking away from everyone, almost thoughtful. "After all, now that I'm not in public school and I'm in a new city where I don't know anyone, I don't have very many opportunities to make friends." She looked at her parents. "Allie might be my only chance at a social life."

"Alex," Justin corrected.

"Yeah, Alex," Mitchie said slowly. "I think he should do it, tutor us at the same time."

Her parents didn't know what had gotten into her. Mitchie had never showed any interest in interacting with trouble makers (with the exception of Shane Gray), yet here she was, suggesting to share her private teacher with one. But Mitchie had a good feeling about this girl, even though she'd never met her. She knew Justin was right. Kids make mistakes. Mitchie knew she wasn't exactly one to judge. Just look at her. She'd made one of the biggest mistakes of her life and she had major consequences. She moved to New York for a fresh start. Maybe that's all this Alex girl needed. A fresh start in a new environment. Who knew, maybe Mitchie could be a good influence on her.

Steve and Connie locked eyes. They really didn't want to take this big of a risk, but Mitchie seemed to have her mind made up. They knew that in a few short months, Mitchie would be making decisions not only for herself, but for another human life. So maybe they should let her make the call on this one. After all, how long could this Alex last before getting herself shipped off to military school anyway? Plus, their daughter had a point. She needed a social life. They knew what she was like. No social life whatsoever greatly brought down her self esteem, and that's not what she needed in her condition.

Connie sighed heavily. "I guess we could give it a shot."

Justin smiled widely. "Thank you, Mrs. Torres! You won't regret this."

"It's only a trial run for now, okay?" She held up her hands, motioning the boy to slow down and not get too excited. "If after a month we see it's not working out so well, I want you to go back to tutoring just Mitchie. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am!" Justin nodded his head so quickly he was sure his neck was going to be stiff in the morning.

"Mitchie has a list of all of her course work. There's also a list of books Alex is going to need." Connie went over to the couch and picked up her purse. "When I get back this afternoon, I'll find the number of the homeschooling program that Mitchie's under to get your sister registered. Actually, you're going to have to file your name with them as well, or Mitchie won't get credit for any of the work she does."

"Alright." Justin nodded again. "You said when you get back. Pardon my nosiness, but where are you going?"

"I'm going to a few job interviews for restaurants in the neighborhood," she said, going to stand by the door with her husband. "We could use the money."

"It's going to be just you and Mitchie today," Steve said. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"No, sir." Justin shook his head.

"Alright." Connie opened the apartment door. "Well, have fun. Get some learning done. And I'll be back some time after lunch."

"I'll be home later tonight," Steve said.

"Mom, Dad, you can leave. I'm a big girl. We'll be fine," Mitchie said, smiling a little.

"Love you," Steve said, walking out the door with a smirk, followed by his wife.

"Love you too," Mitchie called as the door closed.

Some people would think Connie and Steve were crazy for leaving their sixteen-year-old daughter home alone with a hormonal eighteen-year-old boy. But, these were special circumstances. They needed money, badly. So Steve had to work and Connie needed to find a job. Mitchie also needed to be taught, and Justin was her teacher. Plus, she was already pregnant, so that wasn't a factor. And something told them that even if she wasn't, Justin would have no earthly clue how to make even the slightest move. And if he did, in fact, have a clue, he seemed way to respective to do such a thing. No. They weren't worried. They had faith that their daughter was in very good hands.

"So, should we get started?" Justin asked, gesturing to the kitchen table, where Mitchie's school things were scattered about.

"Please," she said, taking a seat. Justin sat on the other side of her, scanning the books. "Can we start with math first?" Mitchie asked, grabbing the text and sliding it in front of her. "It's my least favorite, so I want to get it out of the way."

"No problem," Justin said, picking up a piece of paper. He examined it and discovered it was Mitchie's lesson plan for the day. Good, she was taking an algebra II course. This was going to be simple.

* * *

"So, tell me about Alex," Mitchie said when they'd stopped for a lunch break. She placed a sandwich down in front of Justin and one for herself.

"You really didn't have to make me a sandwich. I could have waited to eat until later," Justin said, avoiding the topic of his nuisance of a little sister. He was still questioning why he was so eager to help her and get her in on this tutoring gig. When he really thought about it, he suspected she'd placed him under a spell. But how could she? Their father had snapped her wand in half. So he must have just simply wanted to. Why…?

"It's no big deal," Mitchie said, shrugging. "It only took a minute. And plus, if you're hungry, you're going to be cranky, and I don't want a cranky teacher." She poured lemonade into two glasses, then put the pitcher back in the fridge. She sat down again, setting the drinks in front of them. "So, Alex?" she asked as Justin reached for his glass.

He stopped mid-lift. "What do you want to know?" he asked before taking a sip.

"What's her favorite color?" Mitchie asked, then took a bite of her sandwich.

Justin swallowed. "Really?"

She chewed and swallowed, smiling and shaking her head amusedly. "No, not really." Mitchie laughed. "What's she like?"

"Mean," Justin said. "Sarcastic, lazy, rude, obnoxious…"

"And why did you stick up for her again?" Mitchie raised an eyebrow at him.

"I was just asking myself the same thing." Justin sighed and took a bite of his sandwich. It was pretty good, he had to admit. Way better than the sandwiches he used to make when he worked in his family's sub shop.

"Is she friendly?"

Justin shook his head. "Not really. She only has one friend− Harper. They've been best friends for years. Ever since kindergarten."

"Does she have any good qualities, Justin?" Mitchie asked, wondering why she wanted to meet this girl in the first place.

"She's a great artist." He wiped the corner of his mouth with his napkin. "And despite everything, she does have her moments. She can be mean and cruel, but if you really get to know her, she has a sweet side. She would never intentionally hurt someone…Except me, though. Or Max, our younger brother."

"So she can be nice, then?" Mitchie asked.

"Yeah." Justin nodded.

"Do you think she'd be nice to me?" Mitchie wondered, not really sure whether or not she wanted to know the answer.

Justin's face was stone still and he held a blank expression. "God, I hope so," he finally said, exhaling and shaking his head.

"Great," Mitchie muttered. What had she gotten herself into now?

* * *

**I really didn't care for this chapter when I first wrote it, but after rereading it, I liked it a little more. It's one of those chapters that had to be written in order to clear things up and set up other things that need to happen.  
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**Review.**


	7. Alex, Like, Like Likes Girls?

**Listening to the Rent soundtrack while writing can be very distracting. I don't advise it.**

**I think it's funny that my story **_**Envy**_** was only six chapters long, but took me exactly one year to finish. Seriously, look at the date published and date updated. One year apart…Exactly. Anyway, I think it's funny that this is the seventh chapter and it took me only a little over two months, and it's nowhere near done, while a six chapter (complete) story took me a year. Weird.**

**Disclaimer: See earlier chapters.

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"I knew they'd agree," Alex said with a smug smile after just receiving the news from Justin that the Torres family would let her sit in on their daughter's homeschooling lessons with Justin. She kicked her feet up on the coffee table and propped her hands behind her head to support its weight.

Jerry was speechless. He was so sure no parent in their right mind would let their child within a mile radius of Alex after they'd heard what she was like.

"You did tell them about her, right?" Jerry asked, finding his voice. "About her flaws?"

"Hey! Aren't fathers supposed to think their daughters are perfect?" Alex frowned at her father.

"I told them that she got kicked out of school for almost burning it to the ground," Justin said, ignoring his sister. "And then later I told Mitchie about how rude and mean she can be. She still seemed to want Alex to tag along. It was Mitchie's idea in the first place. Her parents were on their way to saying no, but Mitchie said she'd like to give it a try since it was a chance to make a friend."

Alex snorted. "Me? Friends with the nerdy version of Juno? Yeah, no thanks."

"Alex, you know nothing about her!" Justin snapped, feeling defensive. He'd spent the entire day with Mitchie and discovered she was actually a pretty great kid. He really liked her. "She's actually insanely cool. She's into all this great music, and she has goals."

"Awe, you _like_ her." Alex smirked and took her hand from behind her head to give her brother's shoulder a shove.

"Not like that." Justin sighed and rolled his eyes. "I don't have feelings for her, but yes, I do like her. And I think you would too if you gave her a chance."

"Is she going to give me one?"

"You're allowed to come tomorrow, aren't you?" Justin gave her a hard look.

Alex opened her mouth to say something, then snapped it shut again. She didn't like this feeling, one of being defeated, even if she'd technically won. She'd gotten her way. Justin was going to teach her and she was safe from going to military school. She just didn't like the fact that her fate ended up being in the hands of someone her own age. And now since this girl had saved her from structure and rules, she was going to have to be _nice_? How could she possibly do that? She wasn't even really nice to Harper, and she was her best friend!

"Alex, you better listen to Justin!" Jerry pointed his finger in his daughter's face. "I mean it. Do whatever he tells you. And your mother and I will be personally getting your assignments from Justin and checking to make sure you've done them."

"Yeah, yeah." Alex dismissed her father with a wave of her hand.

"We're serious, young lady," her mother said sternly. "No more disappointments."

"So this would be a bad time to tell you I'm gay, right?" Alex said without really thinking.

"What?" Jerry yelled, his eyes almost bugging out of his head.

Alex looked at her father and took note of the expression on his face, then to her brother and mother. They held equal expressions of shock. She went back and replayed her little announcement in her head.

"Oh, crap, did I say that out loud?" She put her hand over her mouth.

Her family nodded at her.

"Tell me you're joking," Theresa said, almost robotically. There was no color in her face and she felt numb.

Alex removed her hand. "I would, but I'd be lying," she said quietly. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to tell you this way. That just kind of slipped out."

"No." Mrs. Russo shook her head. "You can't be a…a…_lesbian_. You dated Dean."

Alex nodded. "Yeah, to get to his sister. I'd go over there and tell Dean I was going to the bathroom, but really I'd go in Nikki's room and make out with her for ten minutes. Dean just thought I had a huge bladder. I mean, let's face it, the boy wasn't that bright."

"Dean didn't have a sister," Justin said. "She would have gone to school with us. I would know her."

"What makes you think she would go to our school?" Alex asked.

"His family isn't exactly the richest." Justin said in his know-it-all tone. "They couldn't have afforded to send her to a private school, unless she went to military school. And I can't see you being interested in anyone that goes there."

"I never said she was my age, or even your age!" Alex leaned back on the couch, spreading her arms out over the back.

"She was younger than you?" Jerry's face started turning red. "Alex, seducing and corrupting an innocent child is just plain wrong! And illegal!"

"She wasn't younger than me! And plus, if I'm a minor too, it's not illegal!" Alex yelled, very frustrated. "She was older than me, older than Justin. She was in college, for crying out loud!"

"That's illegal, too!" Justin pointed a finger at his sister.

"It's not like I slept with her or anything!" Alex exclaimed.

"Alex! I don't need to hear this!" Jerry clamped his hands over his ears.

"What about Mason?" Theresa asked. "You loved him. He gave you that charm that glowed when you put it on."

"Oh yeah, about that." Alex sighed. "I looked up that necklace on the wiznet. Turns out, Mason lied. It was a fake. There are necklaces that light up when you put them on and you love the person that gave them to you, but this wasn't one of them. It was some cheap trinket he picked up in a junk shop. It would have lit up even if Justin had given it to me."

"Okay, ew." Justin made a face.

"So why did you date him in the first place if you knew you liked…_girls_?" Theresa pressed. She was having a really hard time believing Alex was actually gay. But that was mostly because she just didn't want to. She knew how hard her daughter's life would be if she was. All the ridicule she'd most probably go through. She didn't want that for her little girl, for any of her children.

"Two reasons. One, I have a thing for British accents. Don't know what it is." Alex paused, shrugging a little. "And two, he was a good cover up."

"Alex, why didn't you just tell us?" Theresa asked quietly.

"Because I knew you'd act like this," she answered. "You don't get it. You don't understand."

"No, we don't," Jerry agreed. He had finally taken his hands off his ears.

"I think you're just confused, honey," Theresa said, reaching out and taking Alex's hand. "Lots of people your age go through this."

"I'm not confused, Mom." Alex pulled her hand away. "I _know_."

"Alex, you don't even know yourself." Theresa shook her head. "You're too young to know that. You're just going through a phase, a phase you'll grow out of."

"No, Mom, I won't!" Alex yelled, standing up. She was so angry she was shaking. "I'm not confused. I _do_ know. I'm not too young. I've known since I was _six years old_! When every other girl wanted Barbie dolls, I wanted to tear them apart! When all the girls started getting crushes on all these guys that were just 'so cute' I just went along with it like I understood! But I didn't! I never did, I never do, and I never will! To this day, I still don't get it when I hear girls talking about how hot Robert Pattinson's jaw line or chest hair is. I don't see the thing with the jaw line and chest hair is just gross!"

"Just because you're not attracted to chest hair doesn't mean you're not attracted to guys," Theresa said.

"Ugh, Mom! You're not listening!" She clenched and unclenched her fists, trying to calm down. "_I don't like guys!_ Okay?"

Her mother shook her head. "I just don't believe you."

"Fine." Alex sighed heavily, tears pricking her eyes. This hurt. "You be in denial all you want. I'll be in my room."

Without another word, she turned and slowly made her way to the stairs. Her heart grew heavier with each step she took up the spiral staircase. When she finally got to her room, it felt like it was in the pit of her stomach.

In her room, she dove onto her bed, immediately burying her face in her pillow as hot tears started to roll down her face. She'd always imagined coming out to her family, but she never thought it would hurt that much, be that hard. She hadn't meant to say it, it just slipped out. She still had no idea what compelled her to actually do it. For a brief moment, it felt good having it out in the open. But then her family had to open their mouths and ruin everything. Had it really been an accident, or had she meant to come out? She didn't know.

Being gay was always something she had trouble accepting about herself. When she was little, it scared the crap out of her. She was always troubled that she didn't look at boys the way the other girls in her class seemed to. She always saw them as kind of gross. Sure, every girl went through the 'boys are icky' phase, but they grew out of it around the age of nine. Alex, on the other hand, never grew out of it. Of course, she didn't know why.

Then came the day when she found out what 'gay' meant. Justin had come home crying because some older kids at school called him a fag.

* * *

"_What's a fag?" ten-year-old Alex asked twelve-year-old Justin as he sat on the couch, tears still running down his face._

"_It's a hateful term used for gay boys," Theresa said from the kitchen. She was busy making hot chocolate for Justin to cheer him up._

"_What's gay?" Alex asked. If these were insults, she wanted to know so she could use them on her brother. If they made Justin cry, they had to be good._

"_It means I like boys." Justin said, sniffling a little._

"_Like, like-like?"seven-year-old Max asked, looking up from the cartoon that had been holding his attention until that moment. He stuffed a peanut M&M into his mouth while waiting for an answer._

"_Yes, Max." Justin wiped his eyes on his jacket sleeve._

"_You like-like boys?" Alex exclaimed. She'd never heard anything like this before. It intrigued her._

"_No!" Justin growled. "Shut up!" He punched his little sister on the arm before running off towards the wizard lair, fresh tears in his eyes._

"_Justin!" Theresa called after him, but it was no use. He was already in the lair._

"_I don't get it," Alex said, staring after her brother and rubbing her shoulder. Justin's punched hadn't hurt, but shocked her. He'd never once hit her until then. "Why would it be so bad if Justin liked boys?"_

"_Because, some people don't like it when boys like boys and girls like girls," Theresa said, handing Alex the cup of hot chocolate that was meant for Justin. "They get made fun of if they do."_

"_Girls can like-like other girls, too?" Alex asked, staring into the mug thoughtfully._

"_Sometimes." Theresa nodded._

"_Would it be bad if Justin like-liked boys, Mom?" Alex looked up at her mother with those big brown eyes._

"_Of course not, Sweetie." Mrs. Torres smoothed her daughter's hair. "Daddy and I would love him just the same. Nothing could make us stop loving any one of you kids. Nothing."_

"_Mom, I can't breathe," Max said, tapping his mother on the shoulder. _

_Theresa turned to her youngest child to see that while she'd been talking to Alex, Max had decided to shove a few of his M&Ms up his nose._

"_Like I said, nothing," Theresa said dully to Alex before standing up, taking Max by the hand, and leading him to the kitchen. "Max, are you going to do that _every _time we give you those things?"_

_Usually Alex loved watching her mom use the tongs to remove candy from her younger brother's nose, but today she was too preoccupied. Girls could like-like other girls? She had never known that before. But that could explain a lot of things. Like why she was the only girl in her class that didn't have a crush on Brad Butler, a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes that were said to sparkle like sun on a clear blue ocean. She didn't get it. To her, he was just another smelly boy that thought too much of himself. So maybe she like-liked girls. The thought didn't seem too bad to her._

_But then she remembered that her mother said sometimes girls that like girls and boys that like boys get picked on for doing so. And it must be bad if being accused of being this gay thing made Justin come home crying._

_No, she couldn't like-like girls. She'd be the only one in her class, and she didn't want to be left out. So she would just like-like boys, like every other girl.

* * *

_

Alex had forgotten all about that day until she got to high school. That's when things really started changing. Other girls in her grade started getting serious boyfriends. And that's also when Harper started obsessing over Justin. Then the talk of jaw lines came in. Seriously, how did a _jaw line_ make someone hot?

Alex just didn't see it. So, she would just wait until someone mentioned that a guy was cute, then take an interest in him. That's what she did with Riley, anyway. But that didn't work out. There was no chemistry. And then there was Dean. She first took interest in him when she saw him in detention. They had a conversation about all the trouble they liked to cause. She enjoyed talking to him. And he made her laugh.

According to every conversation she heard about guys that other girls liked, that meant she liked him and should date him. But she didn't feel that spark that she heard about so often. She knew from what the other girls said about him that he was one of the most beautiful boys to walk the halls of their stupid school, but she couldn't see it herself.

What really freaked her out was while every other girl had pictures of that terrible pop band Connect 3 in their lockers, she only had pictures of Paramore's lead singer Hayley Williams. She realized she was obsessing over Hayley just like all those girls were obsessing over Sheldon, or whatever the hell that guy's name was that sang lead vocals for the lame band. Whenever she watched Paramore music videos, she was transfixed on Hayley. She looked up her pictures on the internet just for fun and smiled every time she saw the red-head.

When she realized what she was feeling for the singer was attraction, she told herself that she was the only girl. And it was just because she admired her so much. No other reason.

As a desperate attempt to keep herself 'normal,' she pursued Dean. He was a good distraction for a while. That is, until she went over to his apartment to watch a movie.

* * *

"_Alex, this is my sister, Nikki," Dean said, gesturing towards the doorway._

_Alex tore her eyes from the movie she and Dean had been watching to look over in the direction Dean was gesturing. When her eyes landed on Nikki, her breathing stopped. Nikki had curly black hair, just like her brother's, but hers was much longer. It fell past her shoulders in ringlets. She was wearing a white tank top, showing off her tan shoulders, and short blue jean shorts, accentuating her long legs. Dark brown eyes twinkled at Alex as Nikki fixed her with a smirk._

"_What, cat got your tongue, kid?" Nikki asked amusedly._

"_H-hi," Alex said, her mouth feeling dry. She'd never found it so hard to talk around anyone before. Then again, she'd never seen someone that beautiful before, either. "Nice to meet you," she managed to say after swallowing._

_Nikki smirked again. "You too, kid." She turned and started off down the apartment's narrow hallway._

_Alex's eyes followed the girl, glued to her ass. As Nikki got further down the hall, Alex had to lean forward and crane her neck out so she could keep it in sight._

"_I think she liked you," Dean said, startling Alex. She'd forgotten he even existed._

"_Hmm?" Alex cleared her throat, pretending to be interested in the TV again. "Oh, yeah. She's…nice." She was having trouble getting her breathing under control. _

_Dean put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. Alex leaned into him, somewhat resting her head on his chest. She noticed that his heart wasn't going nearly as fast as hers was. But her increased heart rate had nothing to do with the boy that was sitting so close to her. It had everything to do with his sister, who was just down the hall.

* * *

_

A soft knock on her door was followed by Justin's voice calling, "Alex?" softly through the doorway.

"Go away!" She yelled, her voice muffled by her pillow.

Her bedroom door opened and Justin entered cautiously. "Want to talk about it?"

"No!" Alex sat up and fixed her brother with a teary glare. "God, you're so smart, yet you don't understand shit! I said _go away_. That means leave me the fuck alone!"

"Well, I'm not going to do that." Justin closed the door and stood there, arms crossed over his chest.

Alex groaned, not in the mood to fight. "What do you want, Justin?"

"I want to know why you never told me you liked girls," he said, sounding hurt.

"Why would I?" Alex exclaimed. "You and I aren't exactly close, you know!"

"We have our moments," Justin said quietly.

"Yeah, once every year or so." Alex wiped her eyes. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I haven't even told Harper. I hadn't told anyone. I don't even know why I said something today. I guess I just kept it bottled up so long that it had to come out. _I _had to come out."

"And you're sure?" Justin asked.

"Yeah, Justin, I'm sure, alright?" Alex sighed. "Could you please leave now? I really want to be alone."

"Okay," he said, putting his hand on the doorknob. "I just want you to know I love you, Alex. And I don't look at you differently."

"Thanks, Justin," Alex said, a small smile making its way to her lips. Even if she and Justin had their differences, they had an undeniable bond. They made each other miserable, but they would kill for each other any day, also. And Justin had said just what Alex needed to hear at that moment.

When Justin opened the door, Jerry and Theresa were standing in the doorway.

"We'd like to talk to Alex alone, please," Theresa said solemnly.

"I was just leaving," Justin said before ducking out of the doorway and dashing down the hall to his room.

Alex sighed in frustration when she saw her parents standing in her doorway. "Look, I know what you're going to say. More of that I don't know who I am or what I'm attracted to crap. Well, save it. I know. I've been knowing. I'm sorry you had to find out that way, but I'm glad you know. I'm sick of hiding it from you. I'm not going to do it anymore. It makes me miserable. I didn't choose it. I can't be changed. This is how I am, how I was born. You guys didn't do anything wrong and no one corrupted me. This is me. Either deal with it, or don't. But I love you guys. And I'd kind of like to have your support right now, because you have no idea what I'm going through and have been going through my whole life. It really is a living hell, this gay thing. I'm not asking you to understand or accept this right away, but I am asking that you at least try. Can you do that? Please?"

Her parents looked at each other for a few moments before looking back at their daughter.

"Okay, Alex," Jerry said softly. "We'll try."

"And we love you," Theresa said. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know," Alex said, her voice catching in her throat a bit. She hated getting choked up like this. "Can Harper come over? I'd like to tell her, too…"

"Sure." Theresa nodded. "But she can't stay too late. You both have school tomorrow."

"Okay."

Jerry and Theresa both offered their daughter a small smile before exiting her room, closing her door behind them. They'd had a talk after Alex had gone upstairs. They were shocked, yes, but they'd discussed this before. The topic had come up that day Justin came home from school crying because he was called a fag. If any of their children ever came to them questioning their sexuality, they would try to be as loving and supportive as possible. But they never thought it would be Alex. In all honesty, they thought it would be Justin.

"Hey, Justin?" Alex called through the wall, too lazy to get out of bed and go down the hall to talk to him.

"Yeah, Alex?" he responded.

"What time do I have to be ready to leave tomorrow morning?"

"Eight-thirty!"

"Thank you!" Alex called before grabbing her phone off her nightstand and dialing Harper's number.

* * *

"Okay, so what's so important that I had to come all the way over here before I finished my homework?" Harper asked about a half hour later, taking a seat on Alex's bed.

Alex was busy smiling at Harper's ridiculous outfit. She'd worn the one with stuffed animal cats sewn all over it.

"So, how was school?" Alex asked, avoiding the subject.

"Not the same without you," Harper said. "I can't believe you got expelled!"

"Tell me about it," Alex groaned. "Now Justin has to home school me!"

"You get to spend all day with Justin?" Harper's eyes lit up. "Maybe I should have stayed with you in the bathroom and gotten in trouble."

"Yeah, about that…" Alex frowned. "How could you do that to me? I could have died in there!"

"I'm sorry," Harper said. "But you didn't."

"I still could have!"

"Yeah, well…" Harper trailed off, not knowing how to defend herself. "Why did you call me over?"

Alex sighed. "You love me, right Harper?"

"Of course I do. You're my best friend." Harper chuckled a little. She wasn't used to seeing Alex look so vulnerable. It was kind of funny.

"No matter what?"

The red-head nodded. "No matter what. So what's up?"

Alex looked her best friend right in the eye and said, "I'm gay, Harper."

"I know," Harper said without even batting an eyelash.

"You _know_?" Alex's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"I've known for years, Alex." Harper smiled. "I've just been waiting for you to tell me yourself."

"But…What…How?"

"Let's see, your lack of interest in guys was always a big tip off," Harper said. "That phase you went through when you were obsessed with Hayley Williams." Harper pointed to one of her friend's Paramore posters as Alex's cheeks turned a shade of pink. "And not to mention, when we were little and we played house, you always wanted to be the dad." Harper shrugged. "The signs were there, Alex. They were plain to see. For me, anyway. But I'm your best friend, after all. I know you better than anyone."

"So I take it you're okay with it, then?" Alex asked, feeling a sense of relief.

"Duh!" Harper laughed. "Alex, if the wizard thing didn't scare me off, nothing could."

"Great," she said. "And you do know that I have no feelings for you whatsoever, right?"

"Oh, yeah, definitely!" Harper nodded.

"Good," Alex said. "I love you, Harper, but I could never be in love with you. You're like a sister to me."

"As you are to me." Harper paused. "Speaking of siblings…I wonder what Justin's up to." The girl stood up and went over to the door, opening it.

Alex didn't have to follow her out of the room to know that Harper was going to invade Justin's privacy yet again. When she heard his door open, followed by his surprised squeal, she laughed to herself and fell backwards onto her bed. She felt light and happy. She felt free. And damn, did it feel good.

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**I know, I know. You're anxious for them to meet. But hey, good things come to those that wait. This chapter did not go at all how I planned, but I am very pleased with how it came out…And how Alex came out ;) That was something really big that needed to be gotten out of the way. **

**Who has the sexiest avatar ever for her profile? This girl! Check it out (If it's changed. It's supposed to be a Demena one. Might still be my old Liley one though, if it has yet to change).  
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**Review.**


	8. No One Likes You, Justin

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place or Camp Rock. I know, damn.**

**You have no idea how hyper I was while writing this chapter. Really hard to focus. And just so you all know, I am leaving for college in not too long. In the near future, I'm going to be busy packing my things together to get ready for the move. I am going to want to spend time with my friends and family before I leave, so please don't be too angry with me if I don't update for a while. I will try to have another chapter up before I leave, though.**

**Prop. 8 is gone! Thoughts?

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"Alex, get your feet off the dashboard," Justin scolded his younger sister as they inched forward in New York City traffic.

Alex sighed heavily, but put her feet down all the same. Her brother cringed when he saw the dirty footprints she'd left behind. He'd have to clean that later. He liked to keep his car as neat as possible, just like his room. This car was his pride and joy. It was a graduation present from his parents, and it was much more than he'd expected. His father was known for being stingy, so Justin knew that even expecting a new cell phone was a bit much. He knew he'd get cake, because his father loved cake, but he never even dreamed his parents would buy him a car. Sure, it was used and a little old, but it ran pretty well (for a 2001 Ford Focus, anyway). Most importantly, it was _his_.

"Why did we have to take your stupid car?" Alex asked, kicking the bottom of the glove compartment to show her hatred for her brother's ugly, tan vehicle. It smelled like a mix between sweaty gym socks and moth balls, with a hint of pine. "The subway would have been much faster. Now we're going to be late."

Justin cleared his throat and adjusted his rearview mirror, little pine tree air freshener swinging as he did so. "We're going to be late because you weren't ready when I told you to be," he said.

"Yeah right." Alex rolled her eyes. "You just wanted to drive your precious car." She sneered. "You know what would have been even faster than the subway _or _driving? Zapping us there. We're wizards, after all!"

"You don't have your wand," Justin said patiently as he switched on the radio. "You couldn't have zapped yourself there."

"You could have zapped both of us!"

"Maybe next time." Justin drummed his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the song.

Alex groaned and let her head fall back onto the headrest. She was starting to think she should have gone to military school after all.

* * *

"Oh no!" Justin said, lowering his hand away from the door on which he was just about to knock.

"What?" Alex asked, still annoyed from the car ride over.

Justin patted his empty pockets, confirming his fear. "I forgot my cell phone in the car."

"It's not like you need it." Alex rolled her eyes. "No one likes you, remember?"

"Lots of people like me!" Justin said defensively.

"Name one person that isn't Zeke, Harper, Max, Mom, Dad, or one of your former teachers." The girl crossed her arms over her chest.

"Mitchie," Justin said, jutting his thumb towards the apartment door.

"You're her teacher!" Alex said. "That doesn't count!"

"Alex, I am not in the mood for this." Justin pinched the bridge of his nose.

"In the mood for what?"

"For you!" Justin exclaimed, pointing at his sister. "Just knock on the door and go inside. Mitchie should let you in if you tell her who you are. I'm going to get my phone. Tell her I'll be right back, okay?"

"Fine." Alex grumbled. She turned away from her brother and knocked on the apartment door.

"Please be nice to her," Justin said as he walked to the stairwell.

"Yeah, yeah," Alex called over her shoulder.

The apartment door swung open before her and Alex was met with the most beautiful pair of brown eyes she'd ever seen. They were so dark, deep, and curious. When Alex focused on the entire face of the girl standing in front of her, she nearly felt the breath get knocked out of her. The cute little nose with freckles, those quirked, surprised eyebrows, her long brown hair, and those eyes…It was all too much. When Alex saw that the girl wore an amused smirk, she snapped her jaw (which she'd just realized was hanging open) shut.

"Come in," the girl said, walking back into the apartment, leaving Alex standing in the doorway.

Alex shook her head to clear her thoughts, slightly embarrassed to be caught off guard like that. Why hadn't Justin mentioned she was so _cute_ before? She silently cursed her brother and his omission of information as she walked into the apartment, dropping her bag on the couch.

"You must be Mitchie," Alex said, looking at the brunette that was taking a seat at the table.

"Yes, and you're Alex," Mitchie said while nodding. "I've heard a lot about you."

"All good, I hope," she said, standing awkwardly by the couch.

"Nothing good, actually." Mitchie said matter-of-factly.

Alex cocked her head to the side and gave her a look that clearly said '_Oh really?_' She seemed to be a little insulted.

Sensing she'd made things awkward and possibly started a fight between Justin and his sister, Mitchie cleared her throat. "Would you like to sit down?"

"Sure." Alex went over to the table and took a seat across from Mitchie.

Mitchie took note of that. Good, Justin would be able to sit in the middle of them. It would be easier for him to teach that way. And she was glad she wasn't sitting too close to Alex. Something about her made the singer unsettled. Maybe it was the fact that her eyes hadn't left Mitchie since she walked in.

"Where's Justin?" Mitchie asked, tearing her own eyes from the girl across from her and staring at the apartment door, which was still open. That was dangerous, but she really didn't feel like getting up to close it when she knew she'd just have to get back up to let Justin in probably not even a minute later.

"He left something in the car. He'll be right up," Alex said, finally looking away from Mitchie to inspect the text books in front of her. "I'm afraid we just ordered my books last night, so they're not in yet. We're going to have to share yours. That okay with you?" She shifted her gaze back up to the girl across from her.

Mitchie locked eyes with Alex. When brown orbs met with brown orbs, Mitchie felt her stomach flip. Damn that morning sickness. "Yeah, that would be fine."

"Good." Alex gave her a crooked grin, liking how nervous Mitchie seemed. Making people nervous was one of her favorite hobbies. Sometimes she caused random acts of mischief for no other reason than to just watch Harper squirm.

Mitchie's stomach did another flip when Alex revealed that crooked smile of hers. It was too much.

"Excuse me," Mitchie said, jumping up from the table. She slapped her hand over her mouth and ran to the bathroom, her face a disgusting shade of green.

Alex gagged when she heard the sound of vomit hitting the water in the toilet bowl in the bathroom. Hearing people get sick always made her queasy.

"Alright, I'm back," Justin said, walking into the apartment, surprised to see only his sister sitting at the kitchen table. "Where's Mitchie?"

"She's in the bathroom puking," Alex said, jutting her thumb in the direction she'd seen Mitchie heading last.

"Oh, great, Alex. I leave you alone with her and you make her throw up. Good job," he said, closing the door.

"I didn't do it! She's pregnant. She probably has morning sickness!" Alex glared at her brother. "Dick."

"Can you not call me that, please?" Justin sighed. "If you're not going to respect me as your brother, at least respect me as your teacher."

"Whatever, Professor Lame Ass." Alex chuckled at her own joke.

"Hey, that's kind of funny. Can I call you that, too?" Mitchie asked from the doorway. Her face was pale, but at least it wasn't green anymore. One hand rested on her stomach, which once again flipped when Alex looked over at her and gave her a sympathetic smile. Gosh, what was is with this girl? Did she have a morning sickness trigger or something?

"No," Justin grumbled. Great, Alex had only been here five minutes and she'd already turned his student against him. "Can we get started, please?"

"Whatever you say, Dr. Dork." Alex saluted her brother. Mitchie chuckled a little as she sat back down in her usual chair.

"It's not funny anymore, Alex," Justin said flatly. His sister was working on his last nerve.

"I thought it was," Mitchie said shyly.

Alex smirked and tried to catch the girl's eye, but Mitchie wouldn't look up from under her bangs. This made the young rebel frown.

"Alex, since you don't have your books yet, you're going to have to look off Mitchie's," Justin said.

Alex snorted. "Duh, Captain Obvious."

The boy sighed. "Alex…"

"Sorry, last one." She held her hands up in a sign of truce.

"I meant, you're going to have to sit next to her, not across from her. It would be easier for you to share books that way." He gestured to the empty chair the girls had left for him to sit in.

"Oh." Alex swallowed. She stood up and switched seats. When Alex's elbow brushed with Mitchie's, Mitchie scooted her chair a little closer to the wall. Alex frowned once again. Did Mitchie suddenly think she had cooties or something?

Justin sat in the empty chair. "Do you want to start with math again today, Mitchie?"

"Sure," the brunette nodded.

"Whoa, wait a minute," Alex protested. "What if I don't want to start with math? Don't I get a say in this?"

Justin let out an annoyed sigh and folded his hands in front of him. "Okay, Alex, what do _you_ want to start with?"

Alex looked from her brother to Mitchie, who blushed and looked away when the raven haired girl caught her eye again. She then realized how childish she sounded.

"Math is fine, I just wanted to be included in the decision," Alex mumbled, slightly embarrassed.

"Please open the book to chapter one, section one," Justin said, trying to move things along. He wasn't going to let Alex hold them up any longer. "Alex, you're going to need a notebook to write in."

"It's in my bag," Alex said.

Justin checked the floor around the table, not seeing the accessory. "And where is your bag?"

"On the couch." Alex nodded in that direction.

"Do you want to maybe go get it?" Justin asked through clenched teeth. She really knew just how to get to him.

The girl shrugged. "If I have to."

"You have to!" Justin yelled, losing the last bit of patience he had left.

"You need to calm down," Alex told her brother before getting up and crossing the room.

Justin then started banging his head on the tabletop. Mitchie watched with fascination, raising her eyebrows slightly in surprise. She'd never had a sibling, and she didn't have any friends that had siblings, so she didn't know how normal siblings acted together. But she was pretty sure _this_ wasn't normal.

Alex grabbed her backpack and yanked a random notebook out of it. She then carried them both back to the table, where Justin was still abusing himself.

She hit her brother in the back of the head with her notebook. "Cut it out! You're scaring your student."

He stopped his movements and picked his head up, showing that he'd made himself temporarily cross-eyed. He closed his eyes and cleared his throat. When he opened his pupils again, his vision was correct. "So, algebra…"

"Yeah, algebra!" Mitchie said enthusiastically, hoping to get back on the topic of school. She looked at the girl next to her, almost fearful to offer what she knew she had to. "Alex, you can scoot closer if you want, so you can see the book too."

"Thanks," Alex said, sliding her chair along the floor so that she and Mitchie were on the same side of the table.

They were so close the sides of their bodies were touching, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Mitchie. When their bare arms came into contact, Alex's warmth seemed to transfer to Mitchie's body, going straight to her cheeks, where a blush was creeping its way to the surface. Alex glanced at the brunette beside her and gave her a small smile. When their eyes met, Mitchie's breathing hitched and her stomach became unsettled again. Not wanting to vomit for the second time today, she took deep breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth in an attempt to calm her stomach. When Alex inhaled, she caught a whiff of the minty freshness of Mitchie's breath from when she'd used mouth wash the last time Alex made her queasy.

Meanwhile, Justin was sitting across the table from the two girls, completely oblivious to the interaction between his sister and his student.

* * *

"I don't get it!" Alex complained for the tenth time.

They'd finished all lessons about twenty minutes earlier and now Mitchie and Alex were trying to complete the work that came with the lessons. Technically Justin's only requirement was to teach them how to do the work. He didn't have to help them with it, but he liked to. He'd liked helping Mitchie the day before, anyway. She hadn't needed much help at all. And when she did, she was very easy to work with, eager to understand what she was doing wrong so she could fix it. Alex, on the other hand, was a completely different story. She didn't understand _anything_ and she didn't try to. She just sat there and complained instead of doing the work.

"Alex, we've been over it a dozen times!" Justin ran a flustered hand through his hair. Alex had been on the same math problem since he'd released them to do their work. Which problem? The first one of the lesson. And to make things worse, it was yesterday's lesson. She had twice the amount of work as Mitchie because Mitchie had started the day before, so Alex was a day behind.

"Nine," the girl defended. "And I still don't get it!"

"Mitchie gets it!" Justin gestured towards Mitchie, who was busy on her science questions, her math finished long ago.

"She's smart, though." Alex pouted and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest.

"So are you!" Justin yelled. "You just don't try!"

Before Alex could even open her mouth for a retort, a ringing sound filled the entire room.

Justin pulled his phone from his pocket, smiling triumphantly. "See, Alex? People _do_ like me."

"Five bucks says it's Mom," Alex said with a bored expression, pretty confident she'd be five dollars richer in about ten seconds.

Justin scowled at his sister then looked at the caller I.D. His expression hardened. Alex thought she was triumphant until Justin mumbled, "I'll take this in the hall," and dashed out the apartment door, into the complex's hallway.

"Wonder what that's about," Mitchie said, speaking to Alex for the first time since she'd offered Alex to move closer in order to share the math textbook.

"Don't care." Alex turned her head to smirk at the brunette, only to frown when she saw Mitchie hadn't even looked up from her work in order to talk to her. She sighed in frustration. For someone that had wanted to be her friend, she sure wasn't being too friendly.

"I have to go," Justin said, quickly entering the apartment again. "I got an emergency call from work. They need me to come in right away."

"But I still don't get this stuff, Justin!" Alex protested, gesturing to her untouched work.

"Sorry, Alex. I'll help you tonight if I can, but this is really important," Justin said, grabbing his keys off the table. "I just don't have time for mission impossible right now. I don't even have time to bring you home. So congratulations, you got your wish. You can take the subway home."

"But Justin!" Alex stood, ready to chase after her brother if she had to.

"I have to go!" He repeated, darting for the door and running out of the apartment.

The sound of the door slamming echoed throughout the room.

"Well, guess you lost five bucks," Mitchie said, breaking the silence.

"Guess so." Alex sighed and picked up her math notebook, flipping it closed and shoving it in her bag.

"You're leaving?" Mitchie questioned, daring to look at Alex's face. However, the girl didn't meet the singer's eye as she continued to shove other notebooks and folders into her bag.

"Might as well. Justin's not here to teach me how to do this crap." Frustration radiated from the tanned body of Alex Russo. "And he said that he'd teach me at home, but I don't have the books, so I don't know how he can. I'm just going to have to wait to do all the work until I get them. But that may be another week. And then I would have a week's worth of work to do. And my parents are going to be on my case about me doing it. Like I'm not in enough trouble! Not to mention, I have to go home and do a shift in the sub shop. But you know what, it's fine. Just fine!" She finished her angry rant by throwing her pencil into her bag, zipping it closed so fast she almost broke the zipper.

Mitchie digested the scene in front of her. It was clear that as much as Alex goofed around and pretended not to care, she actually did.

"Alex, I could help you with your work, if you want…"

Mitchie's offer hung in the air, both girls surprised by it. Alex was sure the girl hated her with the way she'd been hot and cold towards her all day. Mitchie was still cautious of Alex, not sure what to make of her. But she knew Alex needed help, and Mitchie had too good of a heart not to offer, even if the thought of continuing to be alone in the apartment with her terrified the living daylights out of the young singer.

"Really?" Alex asked quietly, turning to face the girl.

"Yeah, really." Mitchie nodded .

"But what about your work?" Alex asked. She really didn't want to be a bother. She knew Mitchie had work of her own to do.

"I have all night to do it." Mitchie waved off Alex's question. "You, on the other hand, have a job. So let me help you out. I know the material, and I have the books. Come on." She patted the seat Alex had previously been sitting in. "Have a seat. Let's get some work done."

Alex set her bag down again, unzipping it and pulling out her composition book. "Thanks," she said shyly, setting the composition on the table.

"You're welcome." Mitchie flashed her a smile.

It was the first time she'd really, truly smiled at Alex all day. This was a genuine smile, teeth and everything. When Alex saw it, her breathing almost stopped for the second time that day. Mitchie had the most gorgeous smile she'd ever seen. Those pearly whites helped to light up Mitchie's entire face.

Alex had the feeling Mitchie rarely smiled smiles like that, and she didn't give them to just anyone. No, she knew in her gut that Mitchie smiles were special. And she had been lucky enough to be on the receiving end of one.

So maybe, just maybe… Mitchie didn't hate her after all.

* * *

**I intended this to be longer, but I thought the ending for this chapter was perfect, so I kept it as is. The beginning of next chapter is going to be the actual ending I had planned for this one.**

**But hey, aren't you happy they finally met? **

**Review it. NOW!...Please? ;)**


	9. Did You Just Hit On Me?

**This will probably be the last chapter for a while. I'm moving soon−to college. Haven't even started packing. That's going to consume a lot of time. And then, I have no idea when I'm going to get a chance to write once I'm in college. Only time will tell. Bear with me.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place.

* * *

**

"Are you serious?" Alex exclaimed, looking down at the paper in front of her. "It's _that_ easy?"

"You've said that after every problem we've done." Mitchie giggled, amused by Alex's amazement. Mitchie had been helping Alex to catch up on the assignments for nearly two hours. After the girls got comfortable with one another, things flowed very easily. Alex caught on quickly and Mitchie was patient with her when she didn't. They saved Alex's weakest subject, math, for last.

"Well I can't believe you're able to make it so simple!" Alex was still staring at her most recently completed problem in disbelief. "Justin makes it so complicated, like he's speaking another language. But you," she gestured towards the brunette with her pencil, "you're definitely speaking English!"

Mitchie smiled, blushing a little. Praise always embarrassed her. "Well, why don't you try the next problem on your own?"

Alex looked from Mitchie, to the text book, then back to Mitchie. She shook her head. "I don't know about that."

"Come on." The singer stood up and moved behind the raven haired girl. She placed her hands on Alex's shoulders, rubbing gently, like a coach pumping up their athlete. "It's the last problem. You did the last one with no help without even realizing it. This is your problem. I'm right here if you need any help. You can do this, Alex!"

"Okay, you're being a little dramatic, don't you think?" She smirked, looking back at the girl standing over her.

Their eyes met once again, brown locked with brown. Mitchie stopped rubbing Alex's shoulders and moved her hands, letting one hang awkwardly by her side and bringing the other up to run it through her hair.

Mitchie cleared her throat. "Just… do the problem." She placed one of her hands on the back of Alex's chair, leaning her weight on it. The other rested on the table, Alex in the middle.

Mitchie's hair fell over her shoulder, close to Alex's face. As it swayed a bit, Alex took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of Mitchie's shampoo. It was flowery, with a hint of wild berry. She didn't know what kind it was, but she sure as hell liked it.

By clearing her throat again, Mitchie was able to pull Alex out of the trance she was in.

"Right, so…" Alex stared down at the text in front of her. The numbers and little symbols seemed to float off the page, jumbling themselves in a confusing mess. The pressure of doing this problem by herself was almost overwhelming. She really didn't want to mess up and look stupid in front of Mitchie. Alex blinked a few times and the problem was back to normal, flat and blank on the paper. But how to complete it? She had no idea where to begin. She looked off the last problem she'd completed, going to the first step. Suddenly, it hit her. "Oh!" Alex exclaimed without any warning, making the singer behind her jump slightly. Smirking, Alex began to work, her pencil flying across the notebook paper as the math problem unraveled in her head, coming together again as she worked through the steps. When she was finished, she slammed her pencil down and raised her fists in the air triumphantly.

Mitchie looked over the work carefully, grinning and nodding her head. "One hundred percent correct," she said, still smiling. "See? I told you that you could do it."

Alex smiled to herself and leaned back in the chair. By doing this, her body was somewhat leaning into Mitchie's, who had her body pressed up against the back of the chair. When both girls noticed this, Mitchie blushed and took a half step back while Alex leaned forward, pretending to have a coughing fit.

Alex finished pounding herself on the chest and sheepishly looked up. "So I guess I'm done, then," she said, a relieved smile stretching across her face.

Mitchie returned to her seat. "Alex, you just finished _yesterday's_ work. You still haven't even begun today's."

Alex's smile dropped instantly. "Fuck my life." She let her head fall onto the table dramatically.

Mitchie giggled and ruffled Alex's hair. "Come on, I'll help you with the math, and we can do the rest together. It'll only take an hour."

"_Only_?" Alex lifted her head, her scalp tingling at the places Mitchie's fingers had brushed against the sensitive skin. She didn't know what it was. Nikki used to play with her hair all the time. Not once had she had that effect on the raven haired girl.

Mitchie simply smiled and placed more work in front of Alex. "You know, I usually don't like cursing," Mitchie said, handing the other girl a pencil

Alex's cheeks flushed as she took it. "Oh. Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I won't do it again." She slouched in her seat.

"No, it's okay. When you do it, it's kind of funny."

Alex gave her a questioning look. "Funny?"

Mitchie nodded. "Yeah, funny."

"Why?" Alex kept her eyes on the brunette.

"I don't know, because it's cute, I guess," Mitchie said as she started to flip the pages in the math textbook to get to the next set of problems.

"Did you just call me cute?" Alex raised her eyebrows, smirking to herself.

When Mitchie saw the look Alex was giving her, her mind instantly went blank. "Uh… N-no… I mean, yes… But no. Well, sort of…" Mitchie trailed off as Alex chuckled softly. She buried her face in her hands to hide her intense blush.

"Interesting," Alex said, smiling widely. "That's what I thought the first time I saw you."

Mitchie's body stiffened. She was used to playing around with Caitlyn in a similar manner, but it was never like _this_. She always knew it was nothing but a joke with Caitlyn. But with Alex, it didn't seem like she was playing.

Mitchie slowly raised her head from her hands. "Did you just hit on me?"

Alex snorted to hide her surprise. "You wish," she said, keeping that signature smirk on her face, but something inside her didn't feel right. _Had_ she hit on Mitchie? She wasn't sure. She didn't exactly have a lot of experience with girls. The only girl with whom she'd been open about her feelings was Nikki. But then, it was always the older girl taking the lead. Alex had no clue how to flirt with another girl. So if she'd just done it, how would she know?

Mitchie looked away from Alex quickly, clearing her throat. "So, math…"

And just like that, the comfort zone was gone and the initial awkwardness returned.

* * *

An hour and a half later, Alex was gathering up her things and getting ready to head out the door. They had finished the work in mostly silence, only talking about the questions in front of them. Even though Mitchie was a little more standoffish, Alex still found that she was able to explain the material way better than Justin ever could. She just had a way of bringing it down to a level that Alex could understand, whereas Justin seemed to think everyone else in the world understood everything he did, which was a lot.

"Thanks for all the help, Mitchie," Alex said as the two girls stood awkwardly near the door.

"You're welcome." The singer smiled shyly. "You're really smart, Alex. If you actually try to learn instead of make Justin have a panic attack, maybe you wouldn't need my help at all."

Alex frowned a little. "Excuse me?"

"You just seem to go out of your way to make your brother angry," Mitchie pointed out.

"That's our relationship."

"That's not healthy."

"Uh, by the looks of it, you don't have any siblings." Alex waved her arm, gesturing to the empty apartment. Her bag slipped from her shoulder to the middle of her arm. She flung her hand about until the accessory fell to the floor. "So how would _you_ know what a healthy brother/sister relationship is?" Mitchie had no answer. "That's what I thought. You don't. That's just the way Justin and I act towards each other. We like to drive the other one crazy and then have random touching moments every so often. It's weird, but it's us. And you don't know anything about us."

"I guess I don't," Mitchie said, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. She was getting a little defensive. After all, she'd just been trying to help, and now Alex was jumping down her throat. "Then again, maybe I don't _want _to know."

"Maybe if you stopped judging me, we could be friends," Alex said softly. Mitchie's only response was pressing her lips so tightly together that they were a thin, white line. Alex sighed a little. "I don't judge you. You're not exactly perfect, ya know. Look at you. You're sixteen and pregnant. I don't look down on you because of it. I don't think you're a slut or disgusting or anything. I just think you made a choice that may not have been the best. And that's what I did, too." Alex ran an irritated hand through her hair. "Smoking was stupid, and so was almost burning down the school. It wasn't my finest moment. And I have no idea what Justin told you about me, but he seems to have placed the idea in your head that I have serious issues. Okay, I'll admit that I have a few. But who doesn't? You have some yourself. But you had to go and be hypocritical and judge me without really knowing me."

"Oh, and like you didn't have a preconceived notion of what I'd be like before you came here?" Mitchie glared at the other girl. She no longer made the singer nervous. Now she just made her angry, but that was mostly because she was right. As much as Mitchie hated to admit it, Alex hit the nail right on the head about her being judgmental.

"True, I thought you were going to be a total dweeb." Alex crossed her arms over her chest, mirroring Mitchie, while nodding her head. "But I gave you a chance to prove to me you weren't. And guess what… You did. You're actually pretty cool. And how did I find that out? Because I gave you a chance!" She shouted the last part, uncrossing her arms and spreading them wide in exasperation. "But you didn't give me one in return. You formed an opinion of me from what my brother told you, writing me off as no good before you even met me. Then when you do meet me, you treat me like a disease or something. You didn't like me from the start!"

"It's not that I didn't like you!" Mitchie yelled right back.

"Okay, then what is it?" Alex took a small step closer, craning her head to make it look like she was listening better. "Please, tell me, Mitchie."

"You intimidate me, okay?" She yelled, finally uncrossing her arms and clamping them down to her sides, balling her hands into fists with frustration.

"I _intimidate_ you?" Alex asked quietly, her features softening.

"Yes, you do," Mitchie said, her voice back to a normal level. "You make me really nervous."

Alex was struck dumb. She knew some people were scared of her, but no one had ever admitted it to her face before. "Why?"

"I don't know." Mitchie tore her eyes from Alex's. "Your gaze is just so intense. I feel like you can pick up on every thought going through my head. It makes me a little uncomfortable."

"If it makes you feel any better, I have no clue what's going through your mind." She scuffed her shoe on the linoleum floor. "All day I've been trying to figure out whether or not you hate me."

"I don't hate you," Mitchie answered honestly, looking up to meet Alex's eyes again. "I'm just a little frightened of you."

Alex winced. That comment stung… A lot. "But why? I haven't done anything to you, Mitchie."

"There's just something about you that unsettles me." Mitchie turned her head to the side, scrutinizing Alex. "I don't know what it is. I can't figure it out, but you are such an enigma to me."

"What did you just call me?" Alex gave Mitchie a confused look.

"An enigma." Mitchie laughed. "It's something that's puzzling or a mystery."

"So I'm confusing?" Alex rubbed the back of her neck with her hand, the confused look still on her face.

The singer nodded slightly. "I guess you could say that." She sighed. "And that scares me. Because I don't like not being able to figure things out." She ran a tired hand down her face. "Can we just start over? Pretend like this day never happened?"

"I don't know about that, but how about this…" Alex smiled a little. "I promise to try not to be so odd and mysterious if you throw your old opinion of me out and start trying to form a new one."

"Oh, but I already have," Mitchie stated.

"Really?" Alex asked, receiving a nod from the other girl. "Which is…?"

"That you're pretty okay." She smirked.

Alex's mouth instantly formed into a shy smile. For some strange reason, she felt very pleased. "You're pretty okay too, Mitchie," she said, her cheeks a delicate shade of pink.

The girls smiled at each other for a few moments before they broke eye contact, each looking at the floor while a comfortable silence fell over them. Mitchie checked her watch.

"It's almost five. Don't you have to be getting to work?" Mitchie asked, looking up.

"Crap!" Alex smacked herself in the forehead with her palm. "I totally forgot. And it's about to be the dinner rush. Dad's going to kill me if I'm late!"

"Think you'll make it in time?" Mitchie asked, genuinely concerned.

"I hope so." Alex picked her back up off the floor and flung it over her shoulder. "Justin isn't here to drive me, so I have to take the subway. I wish I could just go the fast way!"

"What's the fast way?" Mitchie curiously asked.

Alex wanted to slap herself for letting that slip without thinking. "Uh… A cab," she lied. She'd really meant zapping herself home, but she couldn't tell Mitchie that. "No money, so… No cab."

"Oh, okay." Mitchie nodded, accepting that answer.

"Yeah, I better go so I can hopefully jump right in a car and be on my way," Alex said quickly, eager to get out of there before she slipped up again. "Once again, thanks for all the help. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright," Mitchie said, a little sad that Alex had to leave. Despite the rollercoaster of interaction between the two, she really had been enjoying the other girl's company. Beat being alone in an empty apartment with nothing to do but unpack. "Bye, Alex."

"Bye." Alex flashed Mitchie one last smile before darting out of the apartment, praying her father wouldn't yell at her for being late. She _had_ been doing homework, after all…

* * *

"I'm here, I'm here!" Alex yelled, running into the sub shop.

"Where's your brother?" Theresa asked, setting a tray of food down at a table that had been waiting for their food for almost a half hour. None of the children had been there to help, so Jerry was in the kitchen trying to fix all the sandwiches while his wife had to tend to all the tables, which were almost all full. Theresa also had to manage the cash register. Max was the only one of her children she'd seen all day when he came home after school. But they weren't about to trust Max with money. They weren't sure if he could count past ten, after all.

"He got called off on a mission with the monster hunters hours ago," Alex told her mother as they walked behind the counter. She stowed her bag under it. "He isn't back yet?"

"No." Theresa shook her head as she grabbed another tray of sandwiches. "And where have you been all day if Justin's off monster hunting?"

"At Mitchie's," Alex responded, grabbing an apron off the hook and tying it around her waist. "We were doing work."

Theresa gave her a look. "Yeah, okay. Sure. Try telling your father that one." She started to walk away.

Alex followed her mother. "We really were," she told her defensively.

"Whatever you say, Alex." Theresa placed the food in front of the irritated customers. "You're the one that's going to have to deal with your dad. So you better come up with a better excuse than that. We both know you weren't at Mitchie's." She picked up a glass from a table to refill it. "And if you were out committing any more felonies, you might as well start packing for military school now."

"I wasn't!" Alex exclaimed, making the entire restaurant go quiet and causing everyone to turn and stare. She felt her cheeks grow hot. "I was really at Mitchie's doing work," she said quietly.

Theresa gazed at her for a few moments, trying to decide whether or not to believe her daughter. In the end, she just shook her head and sighed. "Just get behind the register," she said as she walked away to fill the drink.

Alex's heart dropped to her stomach as she shuffled behind the counter, resting her elbows on top of it and placing her chin in her hands. Tears pricked her eyes, but she blinked them back. She was used to her parents not trusting her, but all those times, she'd been lying. This time she was actually telling the truth, and her mom didn't believe her. And that hurt like hell.

* * *

Hours later, Alex flopped down on the living room couch, exhausted from spending all that time on her feet. She and her parents had been the only three working the dinner rush, which didn't slow until they closed. They had been so busy that Jerry hadn't had time to confront Alex about her whereabouts during the whole shift. And then when they closed up, Alex immediately went upstairs while her parents did inventory.

"Alex!" Jerry startled his daughter, who was about to fall asleep on the family's bright orange sofa. "Why were you so late coming into work?"

Before Alex could answer, the door flew open and in walked Justin, looking as tired as his family, as if he'd just worked that shift with them.

"I'm home," he said dully, taking a seat beside Alex.

"Where have you been?" Alex asked. She hadn't seen him since he'd rushed out of Mitchie's apartment hours earlier.

"Monster hunting, remember?" He rested his head on the back of the couch. "We had a bigfoot loose in Central Park. He wouldn't fall for any of the traps I set, so I had to wrestle him to try to tie him up. I won, though." He gave a weak smile. "After I was able to tranquilize him, that is."

"Alex, I asked you a question," Jerry said, standing over his child with his hands on his hips.

Alex looked up at her father. "I was at Mitchie's doing work."

"That's what you told your mother." Jerry nodded.

"Okay then…"

"Now how about the truth?" Jerry raised his eyebrows at her.

"That _is_ the truth." Alex frowned. Was it so hard to believe that she had done something responsible?

"Alex." Jerry's voice was stern.

"It is!" Alex exclaimed, standing. "Do you want me to prove it to you?" She didn't wait for an answer, just went over to the kitchen table where she'd placed her bag when she came upstairs.

"By the way, I know I said I'd help you with the work, but I'm way too tired, Alex," Justin said, not moving from the couch. His eyes drooped closed. "Maybe tomorrow or this weekend."

"No need," Alex told him, unzipping her bag. "Mitchie helped me. She caught me up, and we finished today's work as well."

Justin's eyes shot open and he picked his head up to look over his shoulder at his sister. "You did _not_," he said, not believing it either.

"I did _too." _She pulled out all of her notebooks and carried them over to her brother and father. She shoved half the stack into Jerry's hands and dropped the other half on Justin's lap. "Feel free to check it. Everything's correct."

Jerry opened the first notebook and scanned the page, not knowing what he was looking for. He figured he had the science notebook, since there was something about photosynthesis on the page. Meanwhile, Justin was checking over Alex's math.

"This is all right," he observed, flipping the page over to look at the back. "What, did you convince Mitchie to let you copy?"

Alex angrily snatched the notebook out of his hands. "No," she said. "She did help me, though. Since I didn't have the books, we did the work together. She taught me all of yesterday's stuff and then we moved on to today's, which we worked on equally."

"Okay then," Justin said, grabbing the notebook back and taking a pen off the coffee table. He scribbled out a problem similar to the ones on the page. "Then solve this." He slid the notebook closer to Alex.

"Fine." She yanked the pen from Justin's hand and got down on her knees to work the problem. After staring at it for a few minutes, pen met with paper. Alex's hand was a blur as she wrote out the steps. "There. Check it," she said when she was done, handing the notebook back to Justin.

Stunned, he took it and looked down at the page. When he did the math out in his head, he gasped. "It's right."

"You're damn right it's right." Alex scowled as she took all of her notebooks back. She brought them back to the table and put them in her bag, zipping it closed. Without another look at her father or brother, she tossed her dark hair over her shoulder and marched up the stairs.

"Wow," Jerry said once she was all the way upstairs. "You know, I was worried about this homeschooling thing, but maybe it was a good idea after all."

With that, he clapped his still surprised son on the shoulder then went into the kitchen to get a leftover slice of pie. Justin continued to sit on the couch and stare off into space, once again wondering what the hell he'd gotten himself into.

* * *

**I will really try to get another chapter up before I leave, but don't count on it.**

**Review.**


	10. The Best Friends That Don't Shut Up

**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place. Nor do I own the song "I'll Be There For You" by the Remembrants. And I just made up Le Magnifique. So if it's real, I don't own that either. I do not own Paramore or Alex Sanchez or his wonderful book series **_**Rainbow Boys.**_

**Oh, and in case you're wondering… Harper never moved in with the Russos in this story. Okay. That is all. Read on now.

* * *

**

_I'll be there for you (When the rain starts to pour). I'll be there for you (Like I've been there before)._

A familiar song filled Mitchie's small bedroom, instantly causing a smile to creep to the singer's face. She stopped taking her books from their box and reached over to her bed, where her phone rested.

"Hey, you," she answered.

"Hey, baby doll… Or should I say baby mama?" Caitlyn laughed at her own joke.

"Ha, you are quite a comedian," Mitchie said sarcastically. "Gosh, I miss you. I've never loved the _Friends_ theme song as much as I do right now."

"You set my ringtone as the _Friends_ theme song?" Caitlyn asked, holding in a laugh.

"Maybe." Mitchie cradled her phone in her neck as she went back to unpacking her books and putting them on her shelf.

Caitlyn let out the laugh. "You know that's cheesy, right? I don't have to tell you."

"Uh, Cay, ya just did…" Mitchie placed a few more books on her shelf before standing up.

"Oh…Yeah. Well, anyway." She cleared her throat. "I have great news!"

"Great like you got a new top, or great like the neighbors are going to be scared by me squealing because I'm so excited for you?" Mitchie asked, sitting on her bed.

"The second one!" Caitlyn exclaimed. "Are you sitting down?"

"I just did."

"Well stand up! This is huge!"

"Will you just tell me?" Mitchie laughed.

Caitlyn paused for dramatic effect before yelling, "I'm moving to New York!"

Mitchie was stunned for a few seconds. "What?"

"I auditioned for a dance company there last month when they came to California to hold auditions," Caitlyn explained. "I just got the call that I made the cut not even twenty minutes ago!"

"You're moving _here_?"

"Yes!"

"Oh my God!" Mitchie squealed with excitement. "When are you coming?"

"In two weeks. I'm moving in with my dad," Caitlyn said, sounding a little less excited.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay with that?" Mitchie asked. She remembered at Camp Rock Caitlyn had told her that her parents were divorced and she lived with her mom in California and only visited her dad in New York once every year or so. He wasn't exactly the greatest dad in the world. He ran out on Caitlyn and her mom when she was only a baby, moving out to New York to manage some big law firm. He sent Caitlyn enough money to buy whatever she asked for, and paid for her to go to Camp Rock, but he wasn't really interested in his daughter.

"As okay as I can be." Caitlyn shrugged, even though she knew Mitchie couldn't see her. "Who knows? Maybe if I'm there longer than a few days he'll actually say more than two words to me. Besides, my bedroom in his fancy apartment is way bigger than my one here. I'm just going to miss my mom, ya know? It's been just me and her for so long. It's going to be hard to say goodbye. But I'd never ask her to pick up her life and move out to New York with me. She choreographs for some of the most popular musicians in America. Her clients are in California. That's where she needs to be."

"That's mature of you," Mitchie commented. "How are you going to go to school?" A horrible thought occurred to her. "You're not dropping out, are you?"

"No, Mitchie, chill." She smiled. "This company has mostly people our age, so practices are in the afternoon. Performances are on weekends. When we have to travel they're on weekends, too. They always leave right after school lets out and we get back Sunday nights."

"What school are you going to?" Mitchie asked. She was a little envious that Caitlyn would be going to an actual school. She wished she could too, but she kind of gave up the freedom to do as she pleased the night she got pregnant.

"Some place called Tribeca Prep."

"That's where Alex got expelled from," Mitchie said, recalling that in the story on the news, the school that was almost burned down was called Tribeca. And since Alex got expelled from her school for almost burning it down, Mitchie just had to put two and two together.

"Who the hell is Alex?" Caitlyn asked.

"Oh, right." Mitchie laughed. She'd forgotten that she had yet to tell Caitlyn all about Justin and his interesting younger sister. "My parents found a private tutor for me. His name's Justin and he's really smart. He's only a year or so older than us, but he already has a teaching degree. At first, he was just supposed to teach me, but his sister got expelled from her school, which is going to be your new school, and so he asked if he could teach us together so Alex wouldn't have to go to military school."

"Alex is his sister?" Caitlyn asked to clarify.

"Yes."

"Wow." Caitlyn let out a low whistle. "What the heck did she do to get herself expelled?"

"She tried smoking on school grounds and almost set the school on fire," Mitchie says. "She doesn't seem to think it's such a big deal, but it actually kinda is. At first, I really wanted to meet her. From how Justin described her, she seemed cool. But then I met her, and she was just so unsettling."

"What, was she creepy?"

"No, not at all." Mitchie stared at her ceiling, her thoughts going to earlier that afternoon and the time she'd spent with Alex. "She's just intimidating. I felt almost as though she could see right through me, especially since she barely took her eyes off me. And I don't know her well enough to know when she's joking or not." She remembered when it seemed like Alex had been flirting with her. It should have freaked her out, but thinking back on the way she got all flustered, she almost laughed. "In the end, though, I really liked her."

"That's good, I guess," Caitlyn said. "Sounds like you're adjusting to New York pretty well."

"I've only been here a week, Cay." Mitchie looked around her tiny room. "I can tell you one thing, though. I miss my house something awful. My new room is so small compared to my old one. My desk is shoved up against my bed almost, and it's hard to open my door. I had to get a smaller bookcase, so most of my books are in boxes under my bed. I don't have room for my recording stuff, either. All of my equipment is in the hall closet except for my keyboard and guitar, which have been shoved in my closet. And then, my dad decided he didn't want to put the baby's stuff in storage only to take it out in a few more months, so I have a crib and a changing table in my room!"

She stood from her bed and went over to the baby furniture, which had once been hers. She ran her hand over the crib's top bar, fingers brushing tiny teeth marks from where she'd bitten into the wood once she'd started teething.

"But the baby's not due for another…How long?"

"Let's see…" Mitchie calculated the time in her head. "We said the baby would be due about April, right?"

"Right." Caitlyn nodded.

"And it's the beginning of November. So that means it will be another six months. I was nine weeks pregnant when I went see the doctor about three or four weeks ago. Let's round that off to thirteen weeks along. Last I heard, various vital organs were forming and its fingers were webbed. I wonder what it's starting to look like."

"It should have fingerprints now!" Caitlyn said excitedly.

"And how do you know that?" Mitchie asked.

"I told you, I watch Lifetime."

"And you think I'm lame for having the _Friends _theme song set to play when you call?"

"Yes, yes I do." Caitlyn sniffed, sticking her nose in the air. "Oh, and now the baby's urinary tract is functioning. So it's peeing out the fluid it swallows while it's in your uterus. So your baby's pissing inside you. Remember that next time you decide to call me lame!"

"Ew, Caitlyn!" Mitchie laughed, even though she was totally grossed out. "I did _not _need to know that. Have you ever heard of the saying 'ignorance is bliss'?"

"So you're assuming that I want you to be happy, then?"

"I hate you!"

"No you don't!" Caitlyn smirked. "You love me!"

"You're right, I do," Mitchie said. "But I have no idea why!"

"Who's the one that held you while you cried at the pond after you slept with Shane? Who went with you to his cabin so you could talk to him? Who stayed on the phone with you while you took your pregnancy test?" Caitlyn asked. "Hmm? Me! That's who! And that's why you love me. Because I'm always there for you."

"Just like the _Friends _theme song says!"

"And now we're back to that."

* * *

Mitchie emerged from her room later when she heard the apartment door open. Walking into the living/kitchen area, she discovered her mom was back from a hard day of job searching. And she had gone grocery shopping.

"Hey, Mom." She smiled brightly. "Do you need help unloading these?" She gestured towards the large, brown paper bags on the counter.

"Please," Connie said, pulling a carton of milk from one bag and opening the fridge to put it in.

Mitchie reached in another and pulled out a bag of chips. "I have great news." She smiled as she placed the bag in one of cabinets over the counter.

"Really?" Connie reached over and grabbed the eggs, putting them in the fridge as well. "Me too. You go first."

"Caitlyn's moving to New York!" She exclaimed, turning to face her mom with an even bigger smile.

"She is?" Connie smiled too. Maybe if Mitchie had Caitlyn with her, she wouldn't want to be friends with that troublemaker Alex so much. "When? Why?"

"In two weeks. She's going to be moving in with her dad. She's going to the school Alex was expelled from. Isn't that weird?" She wrinkled her nose a little, considering the odds as she began to take out the groceries again. "Anyway, she auditioned for a dance company that's stationed up here, and she made the cut. So she has to move here to dance with them."

"You must be excited," Connie commented, crumpling up one of the empty bags.

"Oh, I am." Mitchie nodded.

"So how was tutoring?" Her mother stored more snacks in the cabinets.

"Really good." She handed Connie a can of corn to put away. "I was kind of cautious of Alex at first, but after I spent time alone with her, she and I got along very well together."

"You spent time alone with her?" Connie raised her eyebrows at her daughter.

Mitchie nodded again. "Yeah. Justin taught us how to do the work, but then he got called off on his other job. It was an emergency or something, so he had to go. So I offered to help Alex catch up on yesterday's work and we did today's together." She paused, seeing her mother's expression. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I just don't like that kid." Connie sighed.

"Mom, you've never even met her. Don't judge her without knowing her," Mitchie said, remembering her fight with Alex. She'd been right, after all. It wasn't right to judge people if you really knew nothing about them. "You'd be surprised by her. Like Justin said, she's a kid that made a mistake. I can relate. She's not the big delinquent you're making her out to be in your head."

They finished putting the groceries in their correct places in silence.

"Oh, hey," Mitchie said, remembering. "What was your news?"

"Oh that." Connie threw the last paper bag into the garbage. "I got a job."

Mitchie smiled. "Where?"

"I'm going to be the head chef at a little restaurant called Le Magnifigue."

"Isn't that the name of a movie?" Mitchie asked.

"I think so. But it's a restaurant, too," Connie said, looking around the kitchen. "I hate this kitchen. It's way too small. Once we save up a little more money, we're going to have to get a bigger apartment."

"Amen!" Mitchie agreed, thinking about her tiny bedroom.

* * *

"What's she like?" Harper asked Alex that night as they lay on Alex's bed, flipping through magazines.

"Who?" Alex asked, eyes not moving from the article she was reading.

"Mitchie."

"Oh. Her." Alex sighed and flipped a page. "She's nice. Not dorky like I expected. She helped me with my work after Justin bailed to go play with Bigfoot in the park."

"You _did_ work?" Harper nearly dropped her magazine in shock.

Alex looked at her, slightly frowning. "Harper, I admit to you that Bigfoot is real, and you're hung up on me doing a couple of math problems?"

"You did _math_ work?" This time she did drop the magazine.

"I swear, you people have terrible expectations for me." Alex looked down at the page. The faces of Connect 3 were smiling back up at her. She grimaced and quickly turned to the next page. She really hated that boy band.

"We're just not used to seeing you serious about school," Harper explained. "Never in my life have I witnessed you turn in a homework assignment."

"You didn't have _every _class with me." Alex narrowed her eyes at her friend.

"If you don't do homework for any of the classes I have with you, it's not hard to guess that you don't do it for any of your others."

"You don't know," Alex said seriously before cracking again. "Okay, you're totally right. I've never done homework a day in my life until today."

"So why the sudden change?" Harper asked.

"I don't know." Alex sighed and tossed her magazine to the side, sitting up. "My dad just told me this is my last chance and I can't mess up again. I don't want to go to reform school or something, so I have to do well. Plus, I don't want Mitchie thinking I'm an idiot. She's so smart and responsible. If I want to be her friend, I can't make a fool of myself."

"Oh, so you're trying to impress Mitchie, huh?" Harper smiled knowingly. "She must be cute."

"Huh? What? No!" Alex said quickly, eyes wide. "We've never talked about how I act around girls I like. How could you possibly know when I have a crush on one?"

"Because I'm your best friend, and I know you," Harper said, laughing slightly. "Do you remember the reason you got into art in the first place?"

Alex's cheeks turned a soft shade of pink. "Maybe."

"I do," Harper said. "It was ninth grade. There was a girl named Gracie with dyed, black hair that always wore ripped jeans. She was a senior and the art teacher's teaching assistant. You followed her around like a lost puppy."

"You saw that in the ninth grade?" Alex asked in awe. "I didn't even realize I had a crush on her then. I just thought it was some weird admiration thing. I first realized it was a crush last year."

"I told you, I know you!" Harper smirked again. "Sometimes better than you know yourself. For example," she pointed to Alex's drum set, which was occupying the space in the corner of her room. "You took up drums when you heard a rumor that Pararmore's drummer quit and they needed a new one."

"Too bad that was just a rumor," Alex muttered.

"Your crush on Hayley Williams was so big that you learned to play an instrument just because of a far-fetched wish to be near her," Harper said.

"Any other observations about my love life that you want to point out?" Alex raised her eyebrows at her best friend.

"You started wearing peace signs because that girl you always stared at in Spanish used to be obsessed with them," Harper stated.

"Okay, that's enough!" Alex snapped. "Besides, it's not like that with Mitchie. She's just a friend… Even if she is totally adorable," she added the last bit bashfully.

"I knew it!" Harper laughed. "Tell me about her. What does she look like?"

"She has chocolaty eyes that seem so warm you just want to look into them for hours." Alex gazed at the wall in a dream-like state. "And a pearly white smile that lights up her whole face. And the freckles on her nose are too freaking cute…"

"You _like _her," Harper teased, poking her friend in the stomach.

Alex jerked away at the poke. "Do not!" She defended. "I'm _attracted_ to her. There's a difference. I don't know her well enough to like her yet. And I'm not going to let myself. Why fall for someone I have no chance with?"

"Why do you say you have no chance?"

"I don't think I'm her type, Harper," Alex muttered.

"What do you think her type is?" she asked.

Alex rolled her eyes. "I don't know, maybe someone with a dick?"

"That's a minor detail," Harper waved off Alex's explanation. "From the way you describe her, I doubt Mitchie would let something like that get it the way."

"You're calling gender a minor detail?" Alex shook her head. "Harper, she's pregnant! Obviously the ability to produce sperm is appealing to her!"

"She could be bi," Harper said. "Or she was trying to convince herself she liked guys, and that's how she got pregnant. Or, if she really does only like guys, you could be that _one_ girl that's the exception."

"Would you listen to yourself?" Alex exclaimed. "You're talking crazy. I'm not going to try to turn her. Especially not if she's going to have baby! Getting involved with someone who has a kid is a big commitment. Besides, I doubt she goes that way. And I'm not about to set myself up to get hurt."

"You never know these days. I have a cousin that goes to a school with a lot of pregnant lesbians. It's the latest thing."

"Where the hell does your cousin go to school that's so dysfunctional?" Alex gave Harper a look.

"Not the point, Alex," she said.

"Well I have no idea where you were going with that, then."

"I was trying to point out that even if she's pregnant, it doesn't mean she wouldn't be open to dating you."

"Harper, let me ask you something." Alex pinched the bridge of her nose. "Are you attracted to boys or girls?"

"Boys," Harper replied without hesitation.

"Okay then," Alex said. "Do you think there's any possibility you could fall in love with a girl?"

Harper thought about for a few moments, frowning. "It's not likely."

"There ya go!" Alex exclaimed. "I rest my case."

"But that's only because I'm not looking for it," Harper said. "And because I'm in love with Justin." Alex rolled her eyes at that. "But one day, maybe, it could happen," Harper continued. "I'm not going to rule it out. There is the possibility that one day, when I least expect it, a girl could come into my life and sweep me off my feet like no boy ever could. And if that happens, I won't try to fight it."

"You would really date a girl?" Alex quirked an eyebrow at her.

Harper nodded. "Yup. If I thought she was the right one for me. I guess you could call me heteroflexible."

"Hetero-what?"

"Flexible." Harper smiled. "It means I like guys, but I'm not going to close myself off to the possibility of dating a girl."

"Wouldn't that make you bi?" Alex asked.

Harper shook her head. "No, it's a little different. To be bi, I'd have to truly be attracted to both sexes."

"Where the hell do you get this stuff?"

"I read a book series called _Rainbow Boys_ by Alex Sanchez. One of the characters struggles with being bisexual. And that's also where I got the term _heteroflexible."_

"So it's a book about gay people?" Alex asked, pulling at a thread on her bedspread.

"Yup." Harper nodded.

"And why would you read that?"

"When I started suspecting you, I wanted to know what you might be going through." Harper shrugged. "I wanted to understand and be prepared in case I was right. And I was!" She smiled.

"You did all that for me?" Alex was struck dumb. She knew Harper had her figured out before she confessed to being gay, but she never dreamed her friend had put that much thought into the matter.

"Of course I did," Harper said, still smiling. "So are you gonna go for it with Mitchie or what?"

"Harper, drop it!" Alex snapped. "It's never gonna happen. Mitchie is a friend, that's it. Let it _gooo_," she dragged out the last word.

"Fine," Harper grumbled, picking up a different magazine and opening it to a random page.

Neither mentioned Mitchie again the rest of the time Harper was there. But Alex's mind would not stray from the brunette, even after Harper left so she could go to bed for school the next day and she was alone in her bedroom. When Alex finally climbed into bed to go to sleep, her head swam with images of Mitchie.

* * *

**It is 3:55 a.m. I am waking up in five hours to start loading my belongings into my car so I can move it into my dorm. This was my last night home. As soon as I finished last minute packing, I started working. I really wanted to get a chapter out to you guys before I left for school, because I have no idea when the next one will be posted. So I hope you appreciate this! **

**Please don't be angry if the next chapter isn't for a while. I'm going to be so busy. Ya know, kind of starting my life… I will try though. I promise to do my best to get new chapters posted in a timely manner.**

**Review for the college student, please? :)**


	11. You Piss Me Off

**Let me just say that I am in love with college and I never want to leave. My roommates rock, and I'm already making new friends. I've never been happier. I am so sorry it took me a good while to update, compared to how quickly I'd been updating. But I am having a very hard time finding time to write. I'm going to try to write another chapter this weekend, but I can't promise anything. I have so much homework to do. Please just hang in there, guys. I'm trying. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place or Camp Rock. I do not own Paramore or "Crushcrushcrush."

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**

"Can I use your bathroom?" Justin asked Mitchie timidly the next day. He had his knees pressed together and looked like he was very uncomfortable.

"Sure," she said, flicking her brown bangs out of her eyes. They were getting a little too long. "It's down the hall, first door to the right. The door should be open."

"Yeah, it's the one with the toilet, in case you were wondering," Alex said sarcastically.

Mitchie stifled a giggle as Justin shot his sister a glare.

"Thank you," he said quickly before standing up and crossing the room. When he walked, he hardly separated his legs. He almost tripped over his own feet three times before he made it to the doorway leading to the hall.

"What's with him?" Mitchie asked Alex, gesturing towards where Justin departed with her pencil.

"Oh, he hates using other people's bathrooms," she replied. "One time he spent the night at his friend Zeke's house and came home at six thirty in the morning because he had to go so badly."

"And what does he have against other people's bathrooms?"

"I don't know," Alex shrugged. "I think he might be afraid of germs or something, which is stupid because he and I both share a bathroom with Max, and he's gross! But at least our germs are all related. Then again, it might not be a germ issue at all. It might be that he's uncomfortable peeing in a strange place. I have no idea. And I don't care enough to ask him. All I know is he must have been pretty desperate to go here."

Mitchie looked at Alex, blinking every few moments. "Well okay then." She broke eye contact and looked down at the page Justin had been explaining before his bathroom break.

The silence bothered Alex. She hated it. "Do you have any plans tonight?" she asked. She'd been trying to get up the nerve to ask all morning, but with Justin in the room, she knew she couldn't. He wouldn't want Alex even thinking about hanging out with Mitchie. He would cause a big fuss about the whole thing. So she had to do this quickly, while Justin was still in the bathroom.

"Uh, no," Mitchie said, looking back up at Alex. "I don't know anyone here, except you and your brother, so I don't have anyone _to _make plans with. Why do you ask?"

"Well, my friend Harper is going to a sewing convention this weekend," Alex started.

"They have sewing conventions?" Mitchie interrupted, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I know, it's weird. Anyway," Alex hurried to continue, "I was wondering, since she's going to be out of town, if you'd like to go see a movie tonight…With me."

Mitchie bit her lip, considering. "I don't know, Alex…"

"It's Friday, so it's not a school night," Alex said quickly. "And I made a deal with my dad that I don't have to work tonight if I work all day tomorrow. He was so happy with me because I did all that homework yesterday that when I asked him this morning, he agreed right away. And my parents like you, so they'd most likely let me go with you."

"Your parents like me?" Mitchie asked. "They don't even know me."

"I'm aware, but you got me to do work," Alex said. "And that never happens. They think you're a good influence on me."

Mitchie bit her lip again. As much as Alex's parents liked her, she knew her own mother was skeptical of Alex. Just yesterday she'd said she didn't like Mitchie's new classmate. The Russos may have thought Mitchie was a good influence on Alex, but Mitchie's mom was certain that Alex would be a terrible influence on Mitchie.

"Are you just asking me because the only way you can go is with me?" Mitchie asked. "Or because Harper can't go? Am I your backup plan or something?"

"No!" Alex shook her head. "Mitchie, even if Harper was going to be in town, I'd still want to go to the movies with you. I genuinely enjoy your company. I want to spend time with you." She gave Mitchie a soft look, which she hoped showed the other girl that she was being honest. "I'd like to get to know you better, with no books, homework, or Justin. What do you say?"

The singer considered. She really wanted to say yes. She enjoyed spending time with Alex as well. Being alone with her, as scary as it had been at first, felt natural. Once she got past the paranoid thought that Alex was reading her mind, Mitchie found herself drawn in by the other girl's dark eyes. Unexplainable as it was, it was true.

"I'll ask my parents," Mitchie finally said. "But I can't promise anything. They're pretty strict."

"Well, when you do ask them, here's my number so you can contact me and tell me their answer," Alex said, writing the digits on a corner of her notebook paper and ripping it off. She handed it to Mitchie.

"Thanks," Mitchie said, reaching for the paper.

When their fingers brushed, Alex reveled in the softness of Mitchie's hands. They were the softest she'd ever felt. Mitchie glanced down at her hand when she felt Alex's fingertips come in contact with hers. They were so warm and smooth. She could feel heat flooding her cheeks as she looked up and made eye contact with Alex yet again.

Mitchie quickly pulled her hand away and shoved the phone number into her pocket when she heard the bathroom door open. She noticed that Alex shifted her chair a little farther away and sat up straighter.

"Well I feel so much better," Justin said, sitting down again. "Thanks again."

"Don't mention it." Mitchie rested her cheek on her palm, her fingers threading through her hair behind her ear.

"Did you flush?" Alex asked.

Justin's face went red. Why did his sister have to be so embarrassing? "Yes, Alex. I flushed. Didn't you hear?"

"No. I was…" Her eyes flashed to Mitchie, then back to her brother. "Preoccupied." She cleared her throat. "Did you wash your hands?"

"Yes, I washed my hands. Gosh, why do you care?" Justin thrust his hands in his sister's face. "Here, do you want to smell them?"

Alex shoved his hands away. "Ew. No!"

"Alright then."

"So, science…" Mitchie said, trying to change the subject.

"Are you going to say one of those lines every time something you find awkward happens?" Alex asked.

Mitchie nodded. "Pretty much."

* * *

"If you want, I can maybe help you to memorize some spells after work tonight," Justin said to Alex on the way home. They were once again stuck in traffic because he _insisted_ on taking the car. "I know you don't have a wand, but you can still memorize. That way, when Dad decides to get you a new wand, all you have to do is practice. And maybe, if you're good, I'll let you use my wand. How does that sound?"

Justin received no response from his sister, who was busy staring out the window, lost in her own thoughts.

"Alex," Justin said, trying to get her attention.

"Hmm?" Alex turned to her brother. Her eyes were glassed over almost like she'd been falling asleep. It was clear her mind was elsewhere.

"Did you hear anything I said?"

"Nope," Alex said simply.

Her brother sighed, slightly annoyed. "I said I could possibly help you to memorize some spells and let you use my wand to practice so you don't fall behind on your wizard lessons until Dad lets you have another wand. We could start tonight if I don't have to work too late."

"No thanks," Alex said, looking out the window again.

"Why not?" Justin asked. "It's not like you have anything better to do."

"Actually, Dad's letting me go to the movies," Alex responded. She turned to look at her brother again.

Justin glanced at Alex as he took his foot off the brake to move the car up a little. At this rate, they'd be home in an hour. And they only lived a twenty minute's walk away, ten by subway−if the train was on time and they didn't have to wait for it. Maybe Alex was right about the car being a waste of time.

"And why is he letting you go?" Justin asked. "I thought you were on lock down."

"I thought so too, but he was so impressed with my work, he agreed to let me go." She shrugged. "I guess it's like getting time off for good behavior."

"Who are you gonna go with?" He frowned. "Harper's in New Jersey for that stupid sewing convention. And it's not like you have any other friends."

"For your information, I have friends," Alex defended, even though that was pretty much a lie. Harper really was her only friend. Maybe she should stop teasing Justin so much, considering she was just as pathetic as him when it came to friends… Wait, Alex Russo, pathetic? No way! She didn't have more friends because _she_ didn't want any. Justin didn't have friends because they didn't want _him_. There was a difference. "And it's none of your business."

Alex sat there quietly, aware of Justin's suspicious gaze on her.

"NO!" He yelled quite suddenly, causing his sister to jump. "Absolutely not!"

"Absolutely not what?" She yelled back, already getting angry.

"You are not hanging out with Mitchie!" He shook his head. "No. I forbid it!"

"You can't forbid it!" she spat at him. "You're not my parent, so you can't tell me what to do! Besides, Dad already told me I can go. He _wants_ me to go. He thinks Mitchie is a good influence on me. So don't even try to talk him out of letting me, because it's not going to do any good!"

"Alex, I will not stand by and let you corrupt innocent, little Mitchie."

"Innocent? She's pregnant! She's not _that _innocent, obviously! And what the hell...Corrupt?" Alex was fuming. "Just what do you mean by that?"

"It's obvious what you're trying to do," Justin said through clenched teeth.

"And that's that?" Alex crossed her arms over her chest.

"Mitchie is vulnerable right now. And she's cute," he said. "You're trying to use that to your advantage. You're going to try to make her fall for you, and then get her to sleep with you. After all, she must be easy. She's pregnant, right? I _know_ that's what you're thinking!" He pointed a finger in her face. "And then once you get what you want from her, you're going to dump her and be on your merry way. Well, I'm not going to let it happen! No way in hell!"

Alex stared at him blankly for a few moments. "You really are an idiot, aren't you?" She shook her head. "Is that what you think of me?"

"Yes…"

"My God, Justin!" She glared at him. "I'm not a whore! And I'm sure as hell not a womanizer! I don't know where you even came up with that! Jeez… I've only ever kissed _one_ girl! And I didn't sleep with her! I'm a _virgin_!" Justin winced at the last word. Hearing his sister use those words just sounded icky. "In case you haven't noticed, I like being in relationships. So I'm not looking for someone to use, I'm looking for a relationship. And I'm not looking for that in Mitchie. We're on our way to becoming friends. I care about her. I would never use her. And she's just a friend, nothing more. She's having a baby, for crying out loud! Even I was interested, _she _wouldn't be!"

Justin stayed silent, his hands clutching the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were turning white.

"For someone who's supposed to be so smart, you're really stupid," Alex said. "And you're an ass." She unbuckled her seatbelt and snatched her backpack from the back seat. She opened her door, careful not to hit the car on the side of Justin's, and planted her feet on the pavement.

"Where are you going?" Justin asked.

"I'm walking home. It'll be a lot faster, and I've got to get home to get ready for my _date_," she said, somewhat mocking. "Besides, I don't want to talk to you anymore. You piss me off." She slammed the door and shot her brother one last glare before starting to make her way through the maze of cars.

Justin rolled his window down and stuck his head out. "Alex, you get back here!"

"Shut up!" A driver yelled from his car.

Alex's laugh rang out from somewhere ahead in traffic. "Yeah, shut up, Justin!"

"At least get on the sidewalk and out of traffic!" He called out. A car honked at him and the lady on the side of him flipped him off. "Fine," he grumbled, pulling his head back in the vehicle and rolling his window back up.

* * *

"Hi, Daddy," Mitchie said cheerily, wrapping her arms around her father's waist as he opened the front door. She was glad her mother had to work the late shift at the restaurant tonight. That meant she could ask her father for permission to go to the movies alone, without her mother around to butt in. Her dad was so much easier to get to agree to things.

"Hello to you, too, Mitchie," Steve said, smiling a little. "What do you want?" he asked amusedly.

"What makes you think I want something?" She gave him a pout. "Can't a girl just be happy to see her father?"

He blinked a few times, looking at her. "Mitchie."

"You're good." She laughed nervously. "Uh, I was wondering if I could go to the movies tonight."

"With whom?" Steve raised his eyebrows at his daughter.

"Alex."

"Justin's sister?"

Mitchie nodded. "Yeah. I know you don't know her, but she could come over before and you could meet her. And she's lived in the city her whole life, so she knows the safest way to get around. And I've already finished all my work for the weekend. Did I mention it's not a school night?"

"Slow down, kiddo." Steve laughed. "Take a breath."

Mitchie smiled and took two deep breaths, letting them out slowly, to humor her father. "Please let me go, Dad. I've been stuck in this apartment all week with nothing to do. And Alex is really cool. She's not as bad as she seems like she would be." She paused. "Please?" she asked again.

Steve looked at his daughter. She had so much hope and desperation in her eyes. He could tell this was really important to her. But he also knew how his wife felt about this Alex girl. But, she'd never actually met her. Mitchie had. And Mitchie was always a pretty good judge of character. Except for that Shawn kid… Steve still wanted to make sure the baby in his daughter's stomach was the last child that infuriating boy ever fathered.

Should he let Mitchie go out in her condition? What if something happened? He would never forgive himself. Then again, once the baby came, Mitchie wouldn't be able to go out to the movies like a normal kid. This could be her last chance to enjoy her childhood. How could he take that away from her?

"Do you promise to have your cell on the entire time? Even in the movies?" He asked.

"Absolutely!" Mitchie nodded quickly.

Steve let out a sigh. "Then I guess it'd be okay. Just make sure you're not back too late. It may not be a school night, but this is New York City. It's dangerous out there. And I do want to meet Alex, so tell her to come by before you leave."

Mitchie beamed and threw her arms around her father. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

* * *

As soon as Alex arrived home, she went straight up to her room and opened one of her spell books. Justin was right. Without practice, she would get rusty. She could hardly remember how to do even the simplest spell. It was like she was reading Greek or something.

She figured she had nothing better to do while waiting for Mitchie to call, so she busied herself by memorizing spells.

However, she could not concentrate. Her mind kept wandering to the brunette whose phone call she was waiting on. Earlier in the car with Justin, she couldn't keep her mind off the other girl either. She couldn't help feeling anxious about possibly going to the movies with Mitchie. She was getting her hopes up. After all, Mitchie said her parents were strict. So they probably wouldn't allow her to go, especially not with Alex, who did things so bad they made the news.

But Alex was still excited. Every time the thought of hanging out with Mitchie, just the two of them, crossed her mind, she got butterflies in her stomach. Mitchie certainly was puzzling. The first day they met, Alex was so sure the other girl hated her. But then she said she didn't, she was just scared. Was Alex really that intimidating? Mitchie had seemed hesitant to even ask her parents about the movies, after all. Then again, that could be chalked up to doubting them saying yes.

Alex couldn't deny that she was attracted to Mitchie, that's for sure. Everything about her was just so adorable. And if it wasn't for that baby bump that was so blatantly obvious, she might consider pursuing a relationship with her. But she knew even thinking about it if Mitchie was going to have a baby was a terribly stupid idea. Thinking back, she remembered Justin once saying he hadn't even noticed the largeness of Mitchie's stomach until she told him she was expecting. She was right about Justin being an idiot, then, because you'd have to be blind not to see it!

If she had to be pregnant, why couldn't she at least have been ugly? A unibrow or snaggletooth would have made it much harder to think she was precious. But _noooo_. Mitchie had to be drop-dead gorgeous. Those big, brown eyes were killing Alex with every bat of the eyelash.

But Alex would not let herself fall. She promised everyone she wouldn't, especially herself. So she would keep it casual. She wouldn't even open the door for Mitchie, like she usually did for girls she thought were cute. And instead of splurging for a cab, if Mitchie could go out tonight, they would be taking the subway. And no sappy chick flick for them to cry over or horror movie for Mitchie to cling to her in. They were going to see the stupidest, most mind-numbing movie that was playing.

This night would be nothing like a date. It would just be two friends hanging out. Nothing more. Completely casual. And maybe by keeping it that way, Alex would be able to keep her feelings for Mitchie platonic, like she'd intended from the beginning.

Yeah, that was the plan. It would work. It had to. Alex Russo's plans always worked. With the exception of the smoking thing… But the one about homeschooling was going pretty well so far. Yeah. Her plans were great. She had nothing to worry about.

With her mind at ease, Alex cracked open her spell book again, which she'd closed some time while she got lost in her own thoughts. Who needs a love life when you've got a chapter of spells to memorize?

* * *

"_Nothing compares to a quiet evening at home."_

Alex jumped so quickly from her chair that her spell book flew several feet away and slid under her bed. Disoriented, Alex looked around until she located her phone atop her dresser, lit up and nearly vibrating itself over the edge while one of her favorite Paramore songs blared from the tiny device.

"Hello?" Alex answered, stifling a yawn.

"Alex?" A familiar, somewhat musical voice answered.

Alex took the phone away from her ear and looked at the caller I.D. It was an unknown caller. "Mitchie?" She asked when she returned the phone to her ear.

"That's me." The singer smiled. "Did I wake you? You sound like you were sleeping…"

"Just a little cat nap," Alex said, stretching with a pleased smile on her face. "So, uh, what's up?" She asked, looking around to see where her spell book went.

"You invited me to the movies, remember?" Mitchie sounded worried. Had Alex forgotten all about their plans?

"Yes, I do remember." Alex got down on her knees and looked under her bed. _Aha. _"Did you talk to your parents?" She reached her arm into the darkness, trying to catch her book.

"I did."

Alex reached some more as she waited for an answer. "Well are you going to tell me?"

Mitchie laughed nervously. "Oh yeah, that would be nice, huh?"

"Just a little." Alex grunted as she stretched her arm out further.

"My dad said it would be okay as long as I'm not back too late."

Alex's hand hit the hard corner of her book. She closed her fingers around the edge. "Gotcha!" She yelled, smiling widely and pulling her book out.

Mitchie jumped slightly. "I'm sorry?" she asked, not understanding Alex's outburst.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing." She blew some dust off the spine. "So they said yes, huh? Great. What time is it right now?"

There was a pause where Alex assumed Mitchie was checking the time. "It's 5:45," she said.

"Great." Alex stood up and tossed the spell book on her bed. "I'll come by around 7." She then remembered that she wasn't trying to impress Mitchie, that this was a very casual thing. She didn't need to look her best if she was just going out with a friend that really didn't care how she looked. "On second thought, I'll be there for 6:45. I don't need too much time to get ready."

"Okay. I'll see you then."

"Yes you will." Alex flipped her phone closed, ending the call. It wasn't until she looked in the mirror to check her appearance that she noticed that not only was she covered in dust from digging under her bed, but she also had a huge smile stretched across her face.

She quickly made herself drop the grin. She didn't need to be that happy about going to the movies with a friend. Heck, in movies you barely even get to hang out. You go, you sit down in a dark theater, you watch a movie (which you can't talk during), and then you leave and go home. No big deal. It's not like she was going to be cuddling or holding hands with anyone. It was just Mitchie. And she was just a friend.

"You hear that, Alex?" She asked her reflection. "Mitchie's a friend. _Just _a friend."

Alex listened to her external voice and seemed to convince herself, but as she started changing into something clean, she couldn't get that little internal voice to shut up, to stop saying, "_No she's not."

* * *

_

**Review, my beautiful readers. The internet and I had an epic war over this chapter. I lost sleep over it. Appreciate.  
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	12. That Girl's Trouble!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place.**

**My life has become "I need to write, but I want to sleep," or "I want to write, but I have an online quiz due tomorrow," or "Yes! I finally have time to write!...Oh, hi roommate randomly coming in my room and jumping on my bed and staying for three hours." I love you guys, but school and sleep and friends do come first. Those are my priorities, this is my hobby. I am trying very hard not to neglect you guys. I am currently extremely tired and putting off an assignment that I probably should be doing instead. But this isn't a burden. I love doing this. I really, truly do. And I love you guys. Sadly, though, reviews are my favorite things in the world and I barely get any compared to the amount of views. But nothing will stop me from writing this. I just wanted you to know that. Okay, rant over.

* * *

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Alex walked the streets of New York City, trying to take things slow. Her black Converse made a pleasant thudding sound each time she took a step. The city was silent, eerily dead. That was quite unusual for New York City on a Friday afternoon at 6:30. She was used to hustle and bustle and people trying to get home from work. There were usually people yelling, cars honking, alarms going off, babies crying… But not today. Today, there was silence.

Any other day, she would have reveled in this fact and probably even stopped at a bench to enjoy the peace. But today was different. She would have welcomed the chaotic noise, because it would have occupied her mind and not let her concentrate on the brunette she was currently on her way to pick up so they could go to the movies. The noise would have been a distraction. Alas, the streets were unusually tranquil, giving Alex no distraction from her troublesome thoughts of Mitchie.

"You're being ridiculous," she said to herself as she walked, partly to fill the silence, but also partially to scold herself. "She's just your friend. And friends don't think about other friends as much as you're thinking about Mitchie. So just stop it!"

Alex had chosen to walk instead of letting her brother drive her or take a cab or the subway for several reasons. First, she was mad at her brother. Next, cabs were expensive, and if this wasn't a date, she didn't need to splurge to impress Mitchie. Also, she and her _friend _would be taking the subway in order to get to the theater. Alex wasn't very fond of the subway, so she didn't want to get sick of it before they'd even seen the movie. Finally, she thought walking would help her to feel better.

She'd changed her shirt and ran a brush through her long, tangled, raven hair. Then she touched up her makeup and brushed her teeth. After that, she still had much ample time on her hands. So what to do?

She paced around her room for a good while. When Justin finally arrived home, he tried to come into her room to talk to her, but Alex was prepared. Before changing, she'd stolen the darts from Max's dart board. When Justin entered her room, she picked up a dart from her bed and flung it at him. If he hadn't ducked, it would have hit him right between the eyes. She threw another at him, which also narrowly missed. He then realized that his sister meant business, so he quickly closed the door and dashed down the hall. Just in time, too, because right when the door closed, a well-aimed dart hit it and stuck there, right where Justin's chest had been a moment before.

When the clock told her it was a reasonable time to start making her way to Mitchie's apartment, she left. Not a word was said to either of her brothers or her parents as she left home. They were all down in the sub shop, busy with the dinner rush. With Jerry making sandwiches and Max and Theresa delivering them, they didn't pay any attention to Alex. But Justin, who was manning the cash register, saw her. However, after the earlier dart incident, he knew better than to address his temper mental sister.

So Alex was able to slip out easily. She tried to keep her pace slow, but her anxiety made her walk faster. She was constantly stopping to 'inspect' something in a shop window or pretending to tie her shoe. The fresh air did nothing to calm her nerves because, let's face it, in New York City, there's no such thing as fresh air.

Eventually Alex found herself standing in front of Mitchie's apartment building. She looked up at the third floor, where she knew Mitchie's apartment was located. Standing in the building's shadow, she shivered as a cool breeze blew by. The sun was setting, and it was early November in New York. This meant the air was a bit chilly. And having a case of nerves was not helping with Alex's body temperature at all.

A quick check of the time told Alex that it was 6:40. She still had another five minutes before she had to be here. Well crap. She'd tried so hard to be at earliest, on time. She'd really wanted to be about five minutes late. That way it would have seemed like she didn't care as much. But if she went up there now, she would seem eager.

She couldn't just stand in the street, though. What if Mitchie looked out the window and saw her just standing there like a creeper? That could _not_ happen. Plus, it was starting to get a bit cold since the sun was starting to go down. But if she went in, she would have to go up to Mitchie's place. And then she would be early and ugh! It was just one big mess.

After debating with herself for a minute or two and shivering about five times, she finally decided to go inside and wait in the hallway. It was worse than freezing her butt off outside.

* * *

Mitchie could not decide what to do with her hair. She was very tired of her natural color. Brown was so plain and boring. And what was with these bangs? Sure, they'd come back into style, but now they were just a bit aggravating. They were getting to the point where they were too long and hanging in her eyes slightly. She dreadfully needed a haircut.

She brushed it and parted it a few different ways, but she was still unsatisfied. She even debating breaking out the curling iron and curling it, but Alex hadn't exactly given her enough time to get ready in order to do that. Why had she agreed to only an hour of prep time? She couldn't do anything in an hour!

Mitchie wanted to look good tonight. She wanted to impress Alex. It startled her a little how much Alex's opinion of her seemed to matter, but then she remembered how Alex had the power to unsettle her more than any human had ever done in her entire life.

She always felt like she had odd connections with people. For example, she was drawn to Caitlyn and her sweet, bubbly personality. And now, they were best friends. She felt drawn to Alex as well, but in a different way. Every reaction she'd had to the girl so far had been intense. Maybe her emotional connection to Alex was just stronger than most. Alex did have a unique quality about her that radiated from her body in waves. Mitchie couldn't quite put her finger on it. Then again, the whole idea of having connections with people could be completely ridiculous. Alex could just be a really charismatic teenager that's confidence frightened Mitchie at first, but she was slowly getting used to it.

Whatever the matter, Mitchie still wanted to look presentable. After all, it was her first time out in New York City. And it could very well be her last for a while considering the baby. She wanted to make the most of it.

But then there was the problem of what to wear. She was starting to show and outgrow a good bit of her clothing. She and her mother had purchased a few maternity outfits before moving, but the lady in the store had been giving them dirty looks, so they left quickly, not getting much. Most of it was for later in her pregnancy, anyway. Another thing, though, is that she didn't want people looking at her tonight. She just wanted to go out and have fun with a friend, be a normal teenager. But baby bumps drew attention, she knew.

"If you're causing this many problems already, I'm terrified to see what you're going to be like at my age," Mitchie said to her stomach.

In a futile attempt to hide her pregnancy from the world, she put on a sweatshirt and matching sweatpants. After all that time worrying about her looks, she was going to go out in sweats. She sighed when she looked at herself in the mirror that was hanging on the back of her door. Now she looked like a lazy teenager that was just a little bit chubby, but at least she didn't look like someone would be calling her 'Mommy' in six months. Well, a little longer than that since he or she wouldn't be able to talk until they were a year old, and even then that might not be his or her first word, and…OH MY GOSH YOU GET THE POINT!

Mitchie glared at her hair, still trying to fix it. Fed up, she just put it up in a messy bun. Next was makeup, pretty standard, nothing too special. When she looked in the mirror again, she couldn't help feeling depressed. So much for dressing up…More like grunge down. There was nothing impressive about her outfit, but there wasn't much else she could do. She had nothing else to wear, had no idea what to do with her hair, and Alex was supposed to show up within the next few minutes.

At a soft knock on her bedroom door, Mitchie tore her gaze from her reflection.

"Come in," she said.

Steve Torres opened his daughter's bedroom door. He leaned against its frame and inspected her. "You're not ready yet?" he asked, eyebrows raised slightly.

Mitchie winced. So she _did_ look that bad. "No, I am. I'm going out in this." Her insecurities came flooding back to her.

"Oh," Steve said. He took note of his daughter's reaction. "You look…Comfy." He tried to smile reassuringly.

She sighed. "I'd change, but I have nothing to wear," she said, gesturing to her closet. "Nothing fits me anymore, and I hardly have any maternity clothes."

"Well maybe you and your mom could go shopping this week when she's not working, and she can buy you a few more things," Steve said. "Until then, what you're wearing is fine. You're going to a movie, after all. It's dark in there. No one will see you. Don't worry about it."

"Alex will see me," Mitchie said quietly.

Steve watched as his daughter looked down at the ground sadly. This killed him. He'd thought letting her go out tonight had been a good thing. But seeing her so distressed over it, maybe he shouldn't have permitted it.

"You look fine, Honey," he told her sincerely.

She looked up at him, eyes full of hope. "Really?"

He held up two fingers. "Scout's honor."

"Thanks, Dad," Mitchie said, smiling a little.

"Can you do your old man a favor and take the garbage out before you leave?" he asked.

"Why can't you do it?" she asked, not to be bratty, but out of genuine curiosity. It took not even a minute to walk out into the hall and put the bag in the chute.

"Because you have a pretty sweet deal going on right now," he said. "You're being homeschooled, and we're letting you keep the baby. Remember? You're going to have to compensate a bit. Doing a few measly chores is a fair deal, I'd say."

She smirked a little. "You just don't want to do it, don't you?"

"Great. Glad you see it my way," he joked and quickly walked away, back to the living room where he'd been watching a ball game.

"You're not funny," Mitchie said with a smile as she followed her father out to the living room.

Steve took a seat in his lounge chair. "I think I am."

Mitchie rolled her eyes good naturedly as she plucked the trash bag out of the can. "You keep thinking that."

She opened the door, taking a step out. She almost yelped in surprise when she saw Alex pacing back and forth in front of the stairs.

"Alex?" she asked cautiously, taking a step toward the pacing girl.

"Yikes!" Alex jumped nearly a foot in the air at the sound of Mitchie's voice. She turned to face the other girl. "Oh, hi. What are you doing here?"

"I live here," Mitchie said, gesturing to her apartment. "Why were you pacing?"

"I, uh…" Alex cleared her throat, clearly embarrassed. "Okay, I don't have time to think up a good enough excuse, so I'm just going to give it to you straight." She took a breath. "I got here too early, and it was too cold to wait outside, so I came up, but I didn't want to knock on your door, because I was early, and I didn't want to seem too eager because that's lame, but I had nothing to do, and I was bored, and I had nervous energy, and I figured pacing might help to pass the time. And then, you came out, but I didn't hear you because I was lost in my own thoughts, then you said my name, and I yelled, and I jumped, and now here we are." She finished her miniature rant by spreading her hands out in front of her.

Mitchie raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay, I kind of got lost at 'I'll give it to you straight.' So…What?"

Alex sighed. "I got here too early, and it was too cold to wait outside, so I…" she stopped. "Please don't make me say it again," she begged, giving Mitchie the best puppy dog eyes she'd ever given to anyone.

Mitchie laughed. "I'm just kidding. I understood everything…I think I did, at least." She scratched her head with the hand that wasn't holding the bag of trash. "Let me just throw this, and we can go, okay?" she asked, holding up the bag.

"Yeah, sure." Alex nodded.

Mitchie went down the hall a bit to a white chute door. She slid it open and dropped the bag in. She didn't know where the trash went after that, but thinking about it, she really didn't _want _to know.

"Oh, by the way," she said, walking back to Alex, "my dad wants to meet you, which is perfect, because I need to go back in and grab some money."

Alex gulped. "Your dad wants to meet me?" she asked nervously. Meeting parents always freaked her out, even if most always loved her. It seems her parents were the only ones that resisted her Alex Russo charm. She had a feeling, though, that that wouldn't be the case with Mitchie's parents.

"Oh, calm down," Mitchie said, taking note of Alex's even more panicky expression. She put her hand on the other girl's shoulder comfortingly. "He just wants to say hi and make sure you're not a psycho or something."

"Was that last part supposed to be funny?"

"Yes." Mitchie smiled.

"Ha…Ha," Alex said sarcastically.

"It'll be fine. Come on." Mitchie ran her hand down Alex's arm to her hand, taking it and leading her to the apartment, which still had its door wide open. "Hey Dad?" Mitchie called when they got inside, shutting the door behind her.

"Yeah?" He looked over his shoulder.

"Alex is here." Mitchie gestured to the unusually quiet girl beside her.

Steve got up from his chair. He crossed over to where his daughter stood, an oddly pale girl to her right. She looked almost terrified.

"Hi, Alex. I'm Mr. Torres." He offered the girl a smile and held out his hand for her to shake. He then saw that Mitchie was holding on to one of Alex's hands. It wasn't the one she needed to shake with, but he still found it a little odd. However, he just chalked it up to a girl thing and shrugged it off.

Alex took his hand limply in hers and gave it a small shake. "Nice to meet you," she said timidly.

Alex felt like kicking herself for being so nervous. There was no need to be. Since when did she care what adults thought of her? She never did before. She had a winning personality that always made parents initially like her… Until they got to know her, that is. But she usually didn't give a shit, quite frankly. So why, all of a sudden, did it matter what Steve Torres thought of her? Maybe it was the fact that she knew Mitchie's parents already weren't fond of her. Maybe because she knew Justin had told them about her flaws, or at least she was pretty sure he had. Maybe it was because she was afraid if Mr. Torres hated her, he wouldn't let Justin continue to teach Alex and Mitchie at the same time. Whatever the reason for her nervousness, Alex made herself suck it up and get over it, or at least pretend to do so.

"Can I have some money for the movie, Dad?" Mitchie asked.

"Sure thing, Kiddo," Steve said, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out his wallet. He slipped a twenty dollar bill out and handed it to Mitchie before putting his wallet back in his pocket.

"Thanks." She slid the bill into the front pocket of her sweatshirt.

Alex took a deep breath to calm her nerves and put on her signature grin. "Thanks for letting Mitchie come out with me tonight," she said. That's right, work the Alex Russo charm.

"Thank you for inviting her," Steve said. "I'm glad she made a friend."

"Dad," Mitchie groaned, her face a little pink. What was it with dads? Did they have a gene in them that says they must embarrass their daughters?

Alex chuckled softly at her embarrassed friend before turning back to the girl's father. "No problem. We both could use a night out."

"What time will you be back?" Steve asked curiously. He didn't want Mitchie out too late in New York City after only living there for a few weeks, even if she was going to be with a New York native, especially not in her condition.

Alex chewed the inside of her cheek, thinking for a moment. "It really depends on which movie we see. I'm thinking no later than 10:30 or 11 probably."

"And you're walking there?" Steve asked, eyebrows raised.

"No," Alex said, shaking her head. "We're taking the subway there. I'm most likely going to walk home, though."

Mr. Torres looked at her uncertainly. "By yourself?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah, I do it all the time."

"Can't you get your brother or one of your parents to pick you up at the theater?"

"Justin has to work tonight," Alex said. She wasn't sure if that was true or not, but she said it anyway because she was still extremely pissed at him. "And my parents don't have a car. We loaned it to this guy to fix up for a race, and it was basically destroyed… Long story, trust me."

"I could go pick up both of you," Steve offered. "If you still want to take the subway there, that's fine since it's daylight. I'm just a little nervous about you two being out alone at night. You understand, I'm sure."

"Oh yeah, totally," Alex said, nodding.

"So I could go get you and then drop you off at home," Steve said.

Alex turned a little red. "I can just walk from here. It's okay, really," she said quickly when he started to protest. "I don't want you to have to go out of your way. I feel bad enough that you have to come get us. I don't want to be a pest." Whoa, where was this coming from? Since when did Alex Russo care about the convenience of others? She must've really wanted to impress this guy.

"You're not a pest, Alex," Steve said good naturedly. "But if it bothers you that much, why don't you just spend the night here? I'd feel a lot better if you did that instead of walking home at night by yourself."

Alex was a little taken aback. She'd never been invited to spend the night so early in a friendship, not even with Harper. Every once in a while, she'd had a different friend that would invite her over, but never a _parent_. Especially after they got past her charm and saw that she was way too devious to have around for too long. This was very new.

"Are you sure?" She asked, looking to Mitchie. Even if Steve had offered, she wasn't about to accept if it wasn't okay with Mitchie.

Mitchie looked a little worried, but put on a small smile. "Yeah, Alex, stay. It'll be fun. My bed can fit two."

"Um, okay," Alex said, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand. "I'll call my parents and ask." She took out her phone. "I'll just take this in the hall…" She excused herself before stepping into the complex's hallway for privacy.

Mitchie stared at the closed door, lost in her own thoughts. Steve took notice of this.

"What's going on, Mitch?" he asked.

She looked at her dad. "Why did you do that?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" This time he was taken aback.

"Invite her to stay?" Mitchie crossed her arms. "She's my friend. Shouldn't that be my decision?"

"I was just trying to help." Steve frowned. "I thought you'd be happy. Last night you were talking about how excited you were that you were going to get to have sleepovers when Caitlyn got here."

"Yeah, with _Caitlyn_!"

"Caitlyn, Alex, what's the difference?" Steve asked innocently. He really didn't see what the big deal was. A sleepover was a sleepover, right?

"There's a big difference," Mitchie said. "Caitlyn is my best friend. She's familiar. Alex is new, and… Oh, never mind. You wouldn't get it."

The conversation was cut short with a soft knock on the door. Mitchie opened it to reveal Alex.

"You didn't have to knock, you know," Mitchie said, stepping back to let her in. "You could have just walked back in."

Alex shook her head. "No, I couldn't. I would have felt weird doing that. Harper does it at my house all the time, and after almost ten years of it, I still feel uncomfortable."

"That's a problem." Mitchie frowned slightly. "You should talk to her about that."

She shook her head again. "Nah. It's Harper. She's practically family. My parents like her better than me, anyway."

"Speaking of your parents…" Mitchie looked at Alex. "What'd they say?"

"My dad said it would be 'wonderful,'" Alex said. "In fact, he didn't say it. He yelled it. Very loudly, and in my ear. He was very excited about it." She smirked a little.

"Really?" Mitchie smiled nervously. She was used to having people having positive opinions of her, but this was too much. The Russos knew she wasn't a saint, right?

Alex nodded. "I told you, they like you."

"They haven't even met me…"

"I know, but can you imagine what they'd be like if they did?" Alex gave her a smirk.

"I really can't, because I don't know them," Mitchie said honestly.

Alex's grin slid off her face. Well, that wasn't smooth at all. "Uh," she cleared her throat, "we should get going."

"Yeah." Mitchie nodded her agreement. "I'm so glad you're sleeping over." She smiled at the girl, then turned to her father. "Bye, Dad." She waved at him as she and Alex walked out the door.

Steve stood there dumbfounded, staring after his daughter. He was utterly confused. Hadn't Mitchie been upset with him for inviting Alex to spend the night? She had seemed like it was the last thing in the world she wanted. But then, her mood did a complete 360 when Alex said she could stay. He had no idea what was going on.

Maybe it was the pregnancy. He could vaguely remember Connie having random mood swings while she was carrying Mitchie. Could Mitchie be going through the same thing? Or was it too early for that? He really had no clue. But if that was the case, and Mitchie was having severe mood swings already, he knew one thing for sure: This was going to be a long pregnancy.

* * *

"Hi, Honey. How was your day?" Steve asked Connie later when she came home from work.

"Exhausting, but fun," Connie said, sitting next to her husband on the couch. She wrinkled her nose when she saw he was watching baseball. She hated sports.

"That's nice." Steve turned his attention back to the game.

"Where's Mitchie?" Connie asked, looking around the apartment. Usually Mitchie was at the table doing work of some kind or in the living room watching TV. She was never in her room because she felt claustrophobic in there, so she was always in the living room. But not tonight. She was nowhere in sight.

"Oh, I let her go to the movies," Steve said, bracing himself for the question he knew was to follow his remark.

"With whom?" Connie asked, raising an eyebrow. Caitlyn wasn't supposed to move up to New York for another two weeks, so it couldn't be her. So then it had to be…

"Alex." Steve turned the TV lower, ready for the fight he knew was about to come.

"What?"! Connie exclaimed, snatching the remote from her husband and turning the television set off completely.

"Honey, I know you don't like her," Mr. Torres started, turning to face his wife.

"You're right; I don't," Connie said. "That girl's trouble! And you let our daughter go to the movies with her!"

"I made sure she came here first so I could meet her!"

"But _I_ didn't meet her!"

"You didn't have to," Steve said. "I _am_ Mitchie's father. I'm capable of making a few decisions concerning her life."

"I thought we were equal partners in raising her?" Connie asked, standing and putting her hands on her hips.

"We are," Steve said, looking up at his wife. "But I knew you wouldn't let her go. And I also knew it was one of the last chances she would get to be a kid before the baby comes! It was important for her to go."

"She could have gone to the movies two weeks from now when Caitlyn moves up here!" Connie exclaimed. "She didn't have to go with _Alex_!"

"But Alex asked her to go, and she really wanted to." Steve sighed. "Look, I met her. She seems like a nice enough kid. She was polite enough to me, anyway."

"I'm telling you, Steve. I have a bad feeling about her," Connie said, pointing her finger at her husband. "I had a bad feeling about Shane Gray, too, and look what happened. He got her pregnant!"

"I don't think Alex is capable of that, Sweetheart," Steve said, smiling amusedly.

"This isn't funny, Steve." She pinched the bridge of her nose, fighting a headache.

He got up and went behind his wife, placing his hands on her shoulders and rubbing gently. "Give her a chance, Con."

"Who, Alex or Mitchie?"

"Both of them," he said, still rubbing. "Give Mitchie the chance to prove she's grown up and become a better judge of character, and give Alex the chance to prove she isn't such a bad influence after all."

"I guess." Connie sighed.

"That's my girl." Steve kissed the top of her head.

"Anything else I should know about?"

Steve stopped rubbing her shoulders. "Did I mention I said Alex could spend the night, too?"

"Great..."

* * *

**If you felt the scene with Alex, Mitchie, and her father was awkward, good. It was kind of supposed to be.**

**Reviews make me smile. Just so you know…**


	13. Fail

**Guys, I had a massive test (that I just failed, by the way) that I needed to study for. This story was not my priority for the past week. Sorry. But I finished my test early, had a little time before math, and came back to my dorm to start on a new chapter. So, I was thinking of you. Wishing I was writing for you, instead of studying. You, readers, are loved. I am passing up socializing right now…**

**AND!... I got a twitter. Idk why, I felt like it. Follow me if it so pleases you. Username xxMusicxSpazzxx (of course), and link to it on my profile page. K, byyyye!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place or Camp Rock.

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"I thought you said your parents were strict," was the first thing out of Alex's mouth once she and Mitchie were out of Mitchie's apartment building. "But your dad is totally cool."

"My mom's the strict one," Mitchie explained. "Or at least she's been more strict recently."

In truth, Mitchie's parents had never really been strict at all. They were always very easy to get to go along with things. However, Mitchie never really asked for much until she wanted to go to Camp Rock. And then it was a money issue, not a trust issue. But recently, whenever Mitchie wanted to do anything, her mother had been putting her foot down. Plus, she hated Alex. So instead of telling Alex that and possibly hurting her feelings, she just said her parents were strict in case she wasn't allowed to go.

However, her dad was very agreeable and let her go. He even invited her friend to stay the night. At first this angered Mitchie. After all, Alex was _her_ friend, not his. What if she hadn't wanted Alex to stay over? And when the question was asked, she didn't want that at all. She was still getting used to Alex. Having a sleepover with her was a big step. And she'd barely spent any time alone with her−just the two of them. Even if she'd gotten a little more comfortable around the raven haired girl, she still felt awkward at moments. She could never recall feeling awkward around Caitlyn.

Seriously, what was it with Alex? She was constantly asking herself this question, and coming up with answers, but none of them seemed to fit properly. One moment she was furious with her father for inviting her, and then the next, when she found out Alex was able to stay, she was overjoyed and truly excited that she got to spend more time with her new friend. Thinking back on it, she realized she was a little peeved that she hadn't thought up the idea herself. Also, she was afraid Alex wouldn't be able to spend the night, considering she had to work the next day. And she didn't like to get her hopes up for something that probably wasn't going to happen.

But since Alex's parent thought Mitchie was some sort of angel from Heaven, her father, Jerry, didn't even think twice about letting Alex spend the night.

Even thought this seemed very grand to Mitchie, it troubled Alex. Sure, she was happy she could spend more time with Mitchie; she really liked the girl. That was the problem, though. A sleepover, no matter how enticing the idea, was not part of the plan. And sleeping in the same bed was nowhere near the plan!

But she just couldn't bring herself to say no, even if she knew it was probably the best idea. She hadn't wanted to seem rude, so she asked her dad. He'd said yes, but she'd been prepared to fight with him to get him to agree to let her stay. As much as she didn't want to admit it, the idea of spending the night with Mitchie made her giddy.

And there was the problem. She could feel herself getting attached, and way too much.

Alex sighed and looked over at the brunette that was causing her so much confusion. Mitchie was dressed very simply, in a gray sweatshirt and matching pants; her hair was in a bun, and her makeup looked normal. She obviously hadn't gone through much trouble getting ready. Alex, on the other hand, could not decide what to wear. Nothing seemed right. She stayed in her usual skinny jeans, but the shirt was an issue. She didn't want to look like she was trying too hard, but she also didn't want to look bad. After nearly twenty minutes of rooting through her closet, she'd finally taken out a red shirt with a peace sign on the front and pulled it over her head. She'd thrown on a light jacket, too for the November weather.

Now, she mentally scolded herself for fretting over it so much. After all, what she was wearing was no different from what she wore to go to the movies with Harper. And, it's not like Mitchie even took notice.

"I like your shirt," Mitchie commented, breaking the silence.

Or maybe she had.

Alex felt her cheeks go a little red. "Thanks," she said. "I wish I was wearing what you were, though. You look so comfortable."

Mitchie frowned a little to herself. "Trust me, I'd rather be wearing skinny jeans just like you."

"Why?" Alex asked. "As much as I love them, I have to admit that they're so uncomfortable. They're tight and hardly breathe. Ya know?"

"Not really." Mitchie shook her head. "I've never worn skinny jeans before. Just regular jeans. I always liked the look, I just never felt like they were my style. So I never bought any."

"You should get a pair," Alex said, trying to make conversation.

"Maybe in about five months," Mitchie said softly.

Alex mentally slapped herself. "Oh, yeah, right…The baby. Sorry." She reached for her hood, feeling very awkward as her face burned a brilliant shade of red. Why did she have to go and say that? She really needed to start thinking before she spoke. She felt like such an idiot.

"It's okay, Alex," Mitchie chuckled softly as she watched Alex pull the hood of her jacket over her head.

"No, it's not," she muttered, zipping her jacket quickly before shoving her hands in her pockets.

"It really is," Mitchie said, touching Alex's arm.

Alex's eyes roamed to her arm, where Mitchie's hand rested. She longed for Mitchie to just slip her arm into her own, to feel Mitchie rest her head on her shoulder. Then she mentally slapped herself again and tried to move a little away from Mitchie without her noticing.

Feeling Alex pull away, Mitchie took her hand back and shoved it and her other one into the front pocket of her sweatshirt. "I'm surprised you like what I'm wearing. I just wore it because I had nothing else. There's no way I could fit into my regular clothes."

"Why is that?" Alex asked, glad Mitchie's hand was gone, along with the fuzzy feeling in her head that had come with it.

"I'm getting bigger," Mitchie said. "I'm outgrowing them. Eventually I'll be able to wear them again, just not any time soon."

"Mitchie, you're not that big," Alex said honestly. True, it was obvious to her that Mitchie was pregnant, but that was probably just because she knew about the pregnancy. Sure, she'd thought Justin was an idiot for not noticing before, but looking at Mitchie now, Alex realized that Mitchie wasn't showing that much after all. It could be what she was wearing, though. Sweats were pretty good at hiding those kinds of things.

"Yeah right." Mitchie frowned again. "I'm getting huge."

"Not really." Alex shook her head. "Maybe you're not used to seeing yourself any other size than your normal one. But to an outsider, you look like a regular teenager."

Mitchie was quiet for a few moments, not sure how to respond. "You really think so?" she finally asked.

"I really do."

"I didn't even try on any other outfit," she admitted. "I just assumed nothing would fit, so I put this on. I've been wearing nothing but the clothes I wore to dance in at Camp Rock because they're stretchable and don't hug my body too much."

"You went to Camp Rock?" Alex changed the subject. "How was it?" she asked eagerly. Ever since she'd started getting good at the drums, she'd wanted to go to Camp Rock. That was another reason for her to take up the instrument, not just because of her crush on Hayley Williams, like Harper had said.

Mitchie pursed her lips, trying to figure out the best way to answer this question. "I'm probably not the best person to ask that question. I made myself miserable for almost the entire summer. And the end…" She glanced down at her stomach and shuddered, which went unnoticed by Alex. "Really the only good thing I got out of it was my best friend Caitlyn."

"Wow," Alex said. "I've never heard someone talk so negatively about it. Why was it so terrible?"

"I'd rather not talk about it, if you don't mind."

"Okay. Subject dropped."

And just like that, an imaginary wall was built up between them. Neither of them spoke again as they finished their walk to the subway.

* * *

"This is our stop," Alex told Mitchie when the train started to slow. It was the first thing that had been said between the two since the topic of Camp Rock had brought the conversation flow to an abrupt halt.

Mitchie followed Alex out the car, trying her best not to get pushed and shoved this way and that by the stubborn New Yorkers that just wanted to get home or the tourists who just wanted to make it on the train alive, much like Mitchie wanted to get off in one piece.

It was her first time using the subway, and was likely to be her last. She and Alex had been pressed up against sweaty people, and that was not something she cared to experience again. Looks like the pass her mother had bought for her was going to go to waste, because there was no way she was ever riding one of those dreadful things ever again.

"Looks like our next train is on time," Alex said, checking an electronic board with the train schedules. "Good. It'll only be another minute or so."

"I'm sorry, did you say our _next train_?" Mitchie asked, praying she'd heard the other girl wrong.

"Yeah, why?" Alex raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"We have to get on another one?" Mitchie's eyes went to the size of baseballs.

"Yes. The one we were on doesn't go where we're going. This next one does."

"Then why didn't we get on that one in the first place?" Mitchie had to scream over the roar of another subway car pulling into the station on the other side of the platform.

"Because it doesn't pass through the stop near your apartment building!" Alex yelled, also struggling to be heard over the screeching of the train's wheels against the metal tracks.

"That's stupid!" Mitchie yelled as another train pulled in, this time on their side of the platform.

"That's New York!" Alex laughed as she grabbed Mitchie's arm and pulled her towards the car.

The doors opened, and a few people got out. Mitchie reluctantly let Alex lead her into the crammed car. There were no seats, yet again, so they were forced to stand, holding on to the disgusting, germ-covered metal poles in the center.

"How many stops do we have to go in this one?" Mitchie asked.

"Just one," Alex said as the doors closed.

Mitchie breathed a sigh of relief, but quickly stopped letting it out as she nearly fell backwards when the train took off. Alex reached out a hand and caught Mitchie by her elbow, chuckling slightly at the clumsy girl.

"Shut up," Mitchie muttered, her cheeks pink and trying to keep her balance as the car rocked back and forth.

The way the lights flickered every time they hit a turn made Mitchie nervous. What if the train broke down with them in it? And all the lights went out? That would be terrible. There were so many creepy people in here. What if someone tried to rob them in the dark? She assumed Alex would know what to do, growing up in the city and all. All city dwellers were born knowing how to defend themselves and their helpless friends, right?

She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't notice the train slowing. Even with it slowing, it still came to an abrupt halt. This caused Mitchie to tumble forward, right into Alex, not hard, but enough to have their bodies pressed together.

When Mitchie's body came into contact with hers, Alex got a big whiff of Mitchie's shampoo. The same scent of wild berry and flowers. It was then she noticed how close their faces were. Their noses were almost brushing against each other. Brown locked with brown when their eyes met. Mitchie's surprised gasps were blowing cool air across Alex's lips. It would be so easy just to lean forward a little…

Alex cleared her throat and took a step back, tearing her gaze from Mitchie's. "This is us," she said, crossing her arms over her chest−closing herself off.

Mitchie simply nodded and tried to get her breathing under control. She followed Alex out the car yet again, wondering, "What the heck just happened?"

Seriously, what was that? She'd bumped into people before. She'd done it to Tess Tyler their first day at Camp Rock. But she'd always scrambled away from them as quickly as possible. This time she _stayed there_. It's like she was pulled to the warmth coming from Alex's body. And after being pressed up against strangers, it was nice to be close to someone familiar, even if she was still getting to know Alex.

Mitchie decided the best thing to do was not dwell on it too long. It had been an accident. That's all. But it seemed to have upset Alex a lot. She was walking so quickly through the crowd of people that Mitchie was having a hard time catching up. When she noticed she was leaving the singer behind, though, she slowed her pace.

They ascended the stairs, back onto the streets of New York City. Mitchie was so happy to be above ground again that she took a deep breath of fresh air…Which wasn't too fresh. She started coughing as car fumes hit her lungs.

Without thinking, Alex put her hand on Mitchie's back and started rubbing in soothing circles. Mitchie's coughing subsided soon enough, but Alex's hand remained on Mitchie's back. When Mitchie looked at Alex and the raven haired girl realized what she was doing, her hand shot up, only to be brought back down again and shoved into her jean pocket.

"You okay now?" She asked bashfully.

"Yeah," Mitchie said somewhat hoarsely. She cleared her throat. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

* * *

When they got to the theater, they wasted nearly fifteen minutes deciding on a movie. Mitchie wanted to see a cute romance movie, but Alex had sworn those off for tonight. No movies that people would go to see on a date. Alex then suggested the newest zombie movie that she'd been dying to see. Then she remembered that she didn't want Mitchie clinging to her and quickly rebuked that suggestion.

Eventually they decided to see the movie about some high school kids that really seemed to have no plot. Perfect. The only problem was that they wasted so much time deciding on what movie to see that when they finally picked that one, it had already started.

The only movie that was starting in the near future and that would allow them to be out by the time Alex had told Mitchie's father was a romantic comedy about the most unlikely couple in the world.

"Great," Alex grumbled as she looked down at her ticket stub. She was feeling rather glum. This was definitely a date movie. Her plan had been going so well, only to have a hole in it at the end.

When they reached the doors to enter the building, Alex instantly opened it and stood aside for Mitchie to walk in.

"Thank you," Mitchie said sweetly, walking past Alex.

When Alex realized what she'd done, she groaned. "Crap," she growled quietly to herself. She'd opened the damn door, just like she said she wouldn't! But she couldn't help it. It was just a reflex.

"Can we get some popcorn?" Mitchie asked. She was staring at the popcorn machines longingly.

"Sure."

They got in line. Luckily, it wasn't too long. Alex hated waiting for things, especially food. She wondered if Mitchie planned on paying for herself. She'd paid for her ticket to get in, so that was something. If it had been a date, Alex would have insisted on paying. That was one part of her plan that was actually going right.

"Do you just want to get a large and split it?" Mitchie asked. "It would probably save us some money."

Alex considered it for a moment. "Okay. Good idea." What harm could come from sharing a little popcorn?

At the counter, they ordered a large popcorn and two sodas. They split the cost right down the middle, then took their goodies and went into the theater.

It wasn't too crowded, so they sat near the top, but not too far up. They had to sit so that they didn't have anyone in front of them so Alex could put her feet up on the seats. With a happy sigh, Alex plopped down in her chair, rested the popcorn on her lap, and tossed a kernel into her mouth.

"How come you get to hold the popcorn?" Mitchie asked in a joking manner, sitting beside Alex.

"Because," Alex said.

"Because why?"

She shrugged. "Just because."

"That's not fair," Mitchie put on a fake frown.

"Life's not fair," Alex told her, eating another piece of popcorn.

"I have an idea." Mitchie smirked. "Let's have a contest. Whoever can throw up the most popcorn kernels into the air and catch them in their mouth gets to hold the popcorn. Deal?" She stuck out her hand.

Alex smiled. She was great at this game. "You're on, Torres." She took hold of Mitchie's hand, giving it a small shake before quickly letting it go. She didn't want to revel in its softness tonight. "First one to miss loses. You first."

"Alright." Mitchie reached over into the bag and pulled out a kernel. With a quick smirk at Alex, she threw it into the air and caught it in her mouth effortlessly. She chewed and swallowed, smiling when she saw a surprised look on her friend's face.

"Wow, Mitchie," Alex said. "I'm impressed."

"You should be." Mitchie laughed. She may be a klutz, but for some reason, this was the one thing she was good at besides singing. "Now you go."

Alex took a popcorn out the bag, and, just as skillfully as Mitchie had done, threw it in the air and caught it.

"There," she said, smiling at Mitchie after she'd chewed and swallowed.

"Oh, it's on now, Russo."

They each continued to reach into the bag and grab handfuls of popcorn, throwing one at a time in the air and catching them. Then, they reached into the bag at the same time, hands brushing each other. It was such a cliché thing to happen, yet surprised them both. They stared at each other for a little while before Mitchie, without breaking eye contact with Alex, pulled a popcorn out of the bag. She tilted her head back and threw the kernel in the air. It landed perfectly in her mouth. She put her head back down and chewed happily, raising her eyes expectantly at Alex.

Alex, who had been quite flustered by the hands-touch-in-the-bag incident, tried her best to shake off whatever was going through her mind. She tossed her own kernel in the air and opened her mouth. She felt it hit her upper lip, bouncing off. She stuck out her tongue to catch it, but to no avail. The kernel fell to the floor. Alex Russo had lost.

"In your face!" Mitchie yelled, pumping her fists in the air triumphantly.

The entire theater turned to look at them, but Mitchie was too busy celebrating and Alex was still too much in shock to take notice.

"Hand over the popcorn, Russo," Mitchie said, holding out her hands.

As Alex did as told, handing the bag over to the girl on her left, the lights in the theater started to dim. Mitchie happily placed the bag in her lap and reached in to take out yet another kernel. She gave Alex a sly glance and a smirk as she started to nibble on her popcorn. When Alex just stared at her dumbstruck, Mitchie turned her attention to the screen, still smiling smugly.

Alex stared at Mitchie in the dark. What she'd just witnessed Mitchie do, that over excitement for winning a popcorn eating contest, the smirk, the sideways glance, it was quite possibly the cutest damn thing she'd seen in her entire life.

Well damn it to hell…Her plan was failing miserably.

She was falling for Mitchie Torres.

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**Review! And remember: Twitta! xxMusicxSpazzxx…Username!**


	14. You're Not Making This Easy

**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock, Wizards of Waverly Place, Paramore, or anything affiliated with those things.**

**About ten minutes after I posted last chapter, my exam grade came in, and I got a B! I was so happy. Just thought I'd let you all know ;) Thank you all so much for the good wishes! It means a lot that you care. And I just took another test today that I don't think I did well on. Any wishes for that one?**

**GAME TIME: Can you spot the 'That's what HE said' joke?

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The entire movie, Alex tried her best to pay attention. She really did. And she was doing well, too.

That is, until Mitchie decided to put her arm on the same armrest as her. As soon as she felt Mitchie's arm come in contact with hers, she sat up incredibly straight. Now, Alex was wearing a jacket, and Mitchie a sweatshirt, so it's not like their skin touched. But Alex didn't know what to do. Should she keep her arm there and let her heart continue to race, or should she move it and risk looking rude?

The warmth of Mitchie's arm traveled through the fabric of both of their sleeves. Maybe it was Alex's imagination, or her overactive brain, but her entire body seemed to be getting hotter, just with that simple touch. She couldn't even imagine what it would be like if both of their arms had been bare. She's likely to have caught fire.

In the end, she decided the best thing to do was to move. So she took her arm off the rest and tucked it in close to her body. Then she leaned in her seat so that she was as far from Mitchie as possible.

And so she sat for the rest of the movie. Mitchie didn't seem to notice Alex's standoffishness, but Alex didn't stop watching the other girl out of the corner of her eye. She was so afraid for Mitchie to get angry for her acting so weird, but she couldn't bring herself to sit normally.

When their arms had been pressed together, their hands had brushed. That smooth, soft hand was so inviting. The urge to take hold of it and lace their fingers together was just too much. She had to distance herself before she let that happen.

Somewhere towards the end of the movie, Alex had been able to calm down enough to pay attention. But then, she was lost because she'd missed the entire middle by being too preoccupied with Mitchie. All she was able to gather was that the two main characters met, one hated the other, they ended up falling in love, and living happily ever after. Lame!

"That was such a good movie," Mitchie said as the credits started to roll.

"What's your definition of _good_, exactly?" Alex asked while standing.

"You didn't like it?" Mitchie stood and started to follow Alex down the steps and out of the theater.

"Not really," Alex said. "From what I saw, it was just like pretty much every other romantic comedy about unlikely couples."

"From what you saw?" Mitchie quirked an eyebrow at her. "You didn't watch the whole thing?"

"No." Alex averted her eyes.

"Why not?"

"I zoned out." She shrugged. "Got distracted."

"By what?"

"You should call your dad to tell him to come get us," Alex said, avoiding Mitchie's question.

Mitchie was going to argue, but sensed it was no use. She simply nodded and pulled out her phone, walking a few feet away to stand in a corner that was less noisy to make the call.

Alex breathed a sigh of relief when Mitchie let the subject drop. She had no idea what she would have told Mitchie if she hadn't. It's not like she could tell the girl she was busy having not-so-friendly fantasies about the two of them walking around Central Park at Christmas time, holding hands, sharing a hot chocolate… No, that would be inappropriate to tell her _friend_. But those fantasies were so much more pleasant than reality, she had to admit…

"He's already in the parking lot waiting," Mitchie said, pulling Alex from yet another oh so wonderful daydream.

"That's convenient," Alex commented.

* * *

"How was the movie, girls?" Steve asked when they'd climbed in the backseat of the car.

"Alex didn't even watch most of it," Mitchie teased, buckling her seatbelt.

Alex did the same, letting out a sigh. "It was boring, okay? It's not my kind of movie."

"Just because a movie doesn't have blood, guts, and monsters doesn't mean it's bad."

"It doesn't mean it's good, either," Alex remarked, followed by sticking out her tongue at Mitchie.

Mitchie tried to look offended, but she just couldn't do it. Alex was too funny sometimes. Her laughter rang through the car as they pulled out of the movie theater parking lot, Alex quickly joining in the merriment.

Steve glanced at them in the rearview mirror. Both of their faces were lit up, huge smiles stretched across them as they joked together. It had been a while since he'd seen Mitchie that happy. Even when she was talking about Caitlyn moving up to New York she hadn't even seemed that happy. And he knew he had Alex to thank for this change.

He couldn't wait to get home to show his wife he'd made the right decision after all.

* * *

Connie looked up from the TV in the living room as the apartment door opened. In flooded a foreign sound. It was laughter, Mitchie's laughter. It was mixed with a laugh that belonged to someone she didn't recognize.

Mitchie walked in first, followed by a dark skinned, raven-haired girl (whom Connie assumed was Alex), and then Steve.

"Hi, Honey," Steve said, closing the apartment door.

The giggling girls calmed down.

"Hey, Mom," Mitchie said, still smiling. "This is Alex." She gestured to the girl beside her.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Torres," Alex said, walking over to the couch, smiling as well. She stuck out her hand for a shake. Her eyes were full of confidence. There was no nervousness this time. She seemed to already have the approval of one parent, so one more had to be a piece of cake, right?

"Hi, Alex. It's nice to meet you, too." She gave the girl a smile, though it seemed forced, and did not stand from the couch to shake her hand, but shook it nonetheless, quickly letting go. "Was it a good movie?"

"The jury's still out on that one," Alex joked.

"_I _liked it," Mitchie said, standing beside Alex.

"You didn't like it, Alex?" Connie asked, looking up at the girl.

Alex shrugged. "I'm not a fan of romantic comedies."

"Then why did you go see it?"Connie asked her, puzzled.

"Because Mitchie wanted to see it."

"And because it was the only one playing by the time we got there and decided on a movie." Mitchie smirked, nudging Alex with her elbow.

Alex laughed. "Yeah, that too."

Connie watched the interaction between her daughter and this girl of whom she was skeptical. Steve was right. She _seemed_ pretty nice. But, appearances could be deceiving.

"Let's go to my room." Mitchie said suddenly.

"All right," was all Alex had time to say before Mitchie grabbed her by the wrist and started pulling her towards the bedrooms. "Thanks for letting me spend the night, Mr. and Mrs. Torres!" she called over her shoulder before they disappeared behind Mitchie's door.

"Well?" Steve asked, sitting beside his wife on the couch.

"She seems alright," Connie said reluctantly.

"I think she's a good friend for Mitchie to have, especially now," he said. "Did you hear that laughter? That started from the moment they got in the car until we walked in. They'd start laughing about one thing, stop to catch their breaths, and then start on something else."

"Mitchie did seem pretty happy," she admitted.

"So…?" Steve raised his eyebrows at his wife.

"So, maybe I'll give her a chance." She smiled a little. "She seems like a nice kid, despite her past."

"That's my girl." Steve smiled and kissed his wife's temple.

* * *

"Sorry it's a little small…" Mitchie rubbed the back of her neck as Alex looked around. She'd wanted to come to her room, but she'd forgotten about its size. Now she was just embarrassed.

"It's fine, really," Alex said, looking at a few posters Mitchie'd pinned to the wall. "I like it; it's cozy." And it was. The room was warm and homey. She felt a sense of ease as soon as they'd entered the room. But that may be because she didn't have Mitchie's parents watching her every move. Sure, Steve seemed to like her, and she'd been much more confident around her mom, but who knew what they were actually thinking about her in their heads.

Mitchie sat in the middle of her bed cross-legged as Alex inspected everything. She knew she had to look at everything too when she was in someone's bedroom for the first time, she so let Alex have her time to get acquainted with the space.

"Sorry, I'm nosy. I have to look," Alex apologized when she saw Mitchie sitting on her bed watching her.

"No, it's okay." Mitchie shook her head. "I have to do the same thing. Please, look. Take all the time you need."

Alex nodded, turning her attention back to the posters. There was a pin-up of Paramore on the wall. Alex's heart started beating like crazy when she saw it. Not because of Hayley Williams, but because she was excited that she and Mitchie had something in common. She felt having a similar taste in music with someone made it easier to get along with them.

"I love Paramore," Alex said, brushing her finger over the glossy paper.

"Me too," Mitchie said. "Obviously." She laughed. "What's your favorite song by them?"

"I really like 'Crushcrushcrush.' It's my ringtone,'" Alex said, taking a seat beside Mitchie on the bed. She'd seen all she needed to see. She also kicked her shoes off. Normally, it took her a while to get used to a place, and she wouldn't take her shoes off until she did so. But here, she felt comfortable already. "What about you?" she turned to Mitchie.

"My favorite off the new album is 'The Only Exception,'" she said. "But my all time favorite is 'We Are Broken.'"

"Wow. So you like the sad stuff?"

Mitchie nodded slightly. "I guess you could say that."

Alex gazed around the room again until something caught her attention. "Why do you have a crib in your room?" she exclaimed, very surprised. How had she not noticed that before?

"Alex…Really?" Mitchie raised an eyebrow at her.

"No, I know you're having a baby. What I mean is…" she looked at Mitchie. "Why do you have it set up already?"

"My dad didn't feel like having to put it into storage, so he set it up now." Mitchie shrugged. "It takes up a lot of room."

"Why didn't you guys get a bigger place?"

"It was an unplanned move. We didn't have much time to find a bigger place."

"Why did you move in the first place?" Alex asked, realizing how little she actually knew about Mitchie.

"My parents didn't want me to go through my pregnancy in Texas," Mitchie said, face unreadable. "People are really closed-minded there, so it wouldn't have been a good environment for me. They wanted me to have a fresh start."

"Wouldn't it have been smarter to do that after you have it…?" Alex asked. She didn't claim to be the smartest person in the world, but she knew this made more sense.

"It would have been a hassle to move with a baby." Mitchie shrugged.

"Oh," Alex said.

It was silent for a little while. Both girls stared at anything but each other. Alex had something on her mind. She didn't want to ask, but she had to know.

"Mitchie?"

"Hmm?" The brunette looked back at Alex.

"Don't take this the wrong way," Alex started, "but how did _you_, of all people, get pregnant at sixteen?"

Mitchie's body stiffened. Her eyes dropped to her comforter. She was silent.

"It's okay," Alex said, feeling terrible for bringing it up. "You don't have to tell me. I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's fine," Mitchie said quietly. "You might as well find out sooner, rather than later. I just don't want you to think differently of me…"

"I won't," Alex said quickly.

"It's a long story."

"We have time," Alex said.

"That we do." Mitchie nodded. "Just be aware that I might cry, okay?"

"Okay." Alex nodded as well.

Mitchie was silent for a bit, gathering her thoughts and trying to figure out where to begin.

"This summer I went to Camp Rock," she said finally.

"Still jealous about that!" Alex exclaimed. "You're so lucky."

"I thought so, too," Mitchie said grimly. "But when I got there, it was nothing like I expected. I got to go at a discounted rate because my mom was the cook that summer. But all the other kids could actually afford to go at full price. I was embarrassed. So I made up this lame story about being rich and made fake friends. Then there was this counselor that I got close to. He made me feel so special…"

"Wait, a counselor?" Alex interrupted. "I don't want to judge or anything, but isn't that illegal?" In her mind, all she could see was a forty-something year-old guy with his hands all over Mitchie. It made her sick.

"He wasn't an adult, Alex," Mitchie said. "He was only seventeen. And he was the camp director's, Brown's, nephew. All of the girls at Camp Rock wanted him, and he chose me." At this, Mitchie's eyes started to get misty.

"What happened between you guys?" Alex asked softly.

"Well, he and I got pretty close over the summer. Then, everyone found out I'd been lying." She wiped at her eyes, trying to stop the moisture. How come she'd gotten to the point where she could joke about it with Caitlyn, but when she told Alex, she couldn't hold back the tears? "He got really mad and stopped talking to me. Everyone turned on me−except Caitlyn, my best friend. And this mean girl Tess got us kicked out of Final Jam, which is held a week or two before we have to go back home. He was a judge for it… Brown let me and Caitlyn perform at the end. I sang a song, and uh…He had written one that blended perfectly with mine. And we sang together on stage. It was beautiful." At this she stopped, gazing thoughtfully out the window.

Alex was about to ask what happened next, but Mitchie continued.

"After Final Jam he asked me on a canoe ride. It was so much fun. We had a great time, talking and laughing. But it had to be cut short because he was hosting an after party in his cabin," she said, her eyes glassing over with memories. "He ignored me for the most part of it, until he started trying to get me to drink the punch. I didn't want any, but he insisted. So I did, to make him happy. And even when the room started spinning, I kept drinking, because as long as I did, I was still the center of his attention."

"It was spiked?" Alex asked, catching on, but still disbelieving. Mitchie nodded. "But it couldn't have been!" Alex said. "You were at a summer camp. No one could have brought it in."

"No one except a counselor," Mitchie said, her voice free of emotion.

Alex gasped. "No…"

"Yes." Mitchie locked eyes Alex, hers dark with anger. "I woke up the next morning, in his bed, naked! I rolled over and the first thing I saw was his stupid, sleeping face!" Her voice shook as she spoke, a hot tear sliding down her face.

"What did you do?" Alex asked, feeling tears in her own eyes.

"I got dressed, left his cabin, and ran as far away from it as possible," she said softly. "I cried my eyes out near the pond. And then I went back to my cabin to sleep. Eventually I went find Caitlyn. When I told her what happened, she made me go look for him." She drew in a shaky breath as Alex hung on her every word. "I went to his cabin, and he was gone, along with all his stuff. His clothes, guitar, everything. The only thing he left behind were his empty bottles of vodka. I tried to call him, but he'd disconnected his number." She looked down at her hands. "It's as if it was his plan all along. And I played right into his hands." She paused to swallow the lump in her throat. "I barely even remember it…"

At this, she put her face in her hands, shoulders shaking as hot tears soaked her palms. She was so ashamed of that night, and reliving it, telling it to Alex, it brought back that shame.

Alex crawled across the bed to Mitchie. She knelt in front of her and put her arms around the other girl. Mitchie slipped her arms around Alex's neck, burying it in the crook. Alex repositioned so that her arms were around Mitchie's waist. She held on tight as the girl cried into her neck, hating herself for her heart fluttering every time Mitchie's hot breath tickled her skin.

"He doesn't know?" Alex asked softly.

Mitchie lifted her head from Alex's neck, looking at her with bloodshot eyes. "No." She shook her head. "And I don't plan on him knowing. Not now, anyway. Maybe in a few years, but not now. I can't handle it."

"Okay." Alex nodded. "What was his name, Mitchie?"

Mitchie shook her head again. "I can't. I can't, Alex. Not now. I can't say it right now."

"Okay," Alex said, pulling the girl to her again and stroking her hair. "You don't have to tell me. Whenever you're ready is fine. And if you never tell me, that's fine too." Alex sat, keeping her arms around Mitchie. Mitchie put herself in Alex's lap, like she'd done before with Caitlyn, that day at the pond. She remembered how safe it'd made her feel, and Alex's lap was no exception. She kept her arms locked around Alex's neck, as Alex kept hers around Mitchie's waist securely, protectively.

"Thank you," Mitchie mumbled, burying her face in Alex's shoulder again. She let Alex continue stroking her hair. The way her fingertips trailed over her skin calmed her. "You don't think I'm stupid or irresponsible, do you?"

"No," Alex said honestly. "I think you're just a person who gave into peer pressure and is now learning its consequences."

"And consequences suck," Mitchie said. "You know, you're a lot smarter than Justin or you give yourself credit for."

"Is that so?" Alex smirked.

"Yup." Mitchie lifted her head to smile at Alex. They locked eyes, sharing the smile. Then Mitchie yawned.

"Tired?" Alex asked.

Mitchie nodded. "Crying takes a lot out of you. I should know. I've been crying a lot lately."

"Well no more crying for tonight, okay?" Alex reached up and moved a strand of hair that was stuck to Mitchie's face by her tears. "Let's get you to bed."

"Okay." Mitchie nodded and reluctantly stood up. She'd been so warm and comfortable in Alex's lap. "You need to borrow pajamas, don't you?"

"Crap, I hadn't even thought of that," she said. "Yeah, I guess I do."

Mitchie went over to her dresser, taking out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. She handed them to Alex. "We have an extra toothbrush you can borrow, too."

"I forgot about that as well," Alex said, taking the clothes. "Thanks."

"No problem," Mitchie said, getting out a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt for herself. "You can change in the bathroom if you want privacy; or I can change in there. Or we can both change in here. Whatever is fine."

Alex considered. She really didn't want to see Mitchie undress because she knew she'd like it too much. And she'd feel weird changing in front of her. But after the girl had just been in her lap, how could she say she wouldn't feel comfortable with that?

"I'm fine with anything," Alex said. "I'm not modest, and I'm pretty good about keeping my eyes to myself." She finished with a wink.

Mitchie's face would have gone a delicate shade of pink if it hadn't been red from crying. "Well then let's get dressed."

Mitchie turned away to give Alex a bit of privacy. But the way she turned, if she glanced up, she could still see Alex in the mirror. She was going to look away, until Alex pulled her shirt over her head. Then, her eyes were fixed on the girl's stomach. It was so smooth and toned, especially compared to hers. She had a pregnancy stomach and Alex…Alex had a gorgeous stomach.

Mitchie shook her head and looked away from the mirror before Alex could catch her staring, but the image was burned in her mind.

Alex was very proud of herself for not once sneaking a peek at Mitchie. Sure, she wanted to. Oh, was she tempted. But she didn't, and that was the important part.

Once they were dressed, Mitchie led them to the bathroom, where she got the unused toothbrush from its box and handed it to Alex.

"Why do you guys have an extra toothbrush?" Alex questioned, taking the green, plastic tooth cleaning device.

"Just in case one of us would lose ours or something like that," Mitchie answered, taking her own blue brush from the holder.

While Alex brushed her teeth, Mitchie cleaned her face. It was a mess of makeup and dried tears. And while Mitchie brushed hers, Alex took off her makeup as well.

_Oh great, now she's going to see me without makeup and in the morning, after just waking when my hair is a wild mess_, Alex thought a tad bitterly as Mitchie led them back to her room.

"What side do you sleep on?" Alex asked, motioning to the somewhat small bed. It's wasn't a twin, but it wasn't a queen, either. It was a full, which could fit two people, but they'd be very close together.

"I usually sleep on the side closest to the door," Mitchie answered.

"Okay." Alex climbed into the bed and crawled over to the side nearest the wall. She was thankful the window had a curtain so that the sun wouldn't shine in her eyes the next morning.

Mitchie crawled in beside Alex, lying with her back facing the other girl. Alex, on the other hand, shifted so that she was staring at Mitchie's back. Mitchie reached over and turned off the lamp that was sitting on her dresser.

They lay there in the dark and silence, just listening to each other breathe. Mitchie remembered the last time she'd shared a bed with someone. It had been Shane. And then the painful memories came flooding back. She bit down on her lip, trying to stop the tears. She felt vulnerable again, and she hated it. It made her cold and made her shiver. She wanted to feel warm, protected.

"Alex?" Her voice shook in the dark.

"Yeah?" Alex propped herself up on her elbow, looking at Mitchie in the almost pitch-blackness. She could just make out the singer's features.

"I know this is going to sound weird, and I'll understand if you say no, but…" she swallowed. "Could you hold me?"

Alex's heart began to thud hard against her ribcage. She licked her lips. "Like, wrap my arms around you?"

"Yeah." Mitchie turned over to face Alex. "Is that too weird?"

Alex knew she should say yes.

"No," she said. "It's fine. Turn over."

Mitchie turned over so that her back was towards Alex again. Alex scooted herself closer so that her front was pressed against Mitchie's back. She slipped one arm around Mitchie's waist and slipped the other under her body. Mitchie propped herself up a little to let Alex's arm through, then set herself back down. Alex's hands rested on Mitchie's stomach. And even though she knew it was a bit too much, she let herself give into temptation and nuzzled her nose against Mitchie's back, just under her neck. A few strands of her hair tickled Alex's nose.

"Thank you," Mitchie said quietly.

"You're welcome," Alex said, her lips brushing against the fabric of Mitchie's t-shirt, tickling the other girl's skin through the material.

"Goodnight, Alex," Mitchie said, just as quietly.

"'Night, Mitch."

Mitchie placed her hands on top of Alex's, which were still on her stomach. She grabbed Alex's fingers and gave them a squeeze.

"Love you…," Mitchie said timidly. She knew it was very soon in the friendship, but she felt like she had to say it. After all, she'd shared an awful lot with Alex tonight. And she did care for the girl, after all. She just wanted Alex to know that she appreciated everything she'd done for her. She wanted her to know what she was feeling right then and there.

Alex hesitated, then said, "Love you too, Mitch."

And so Mitchie closed her eyes with a content smile on her face. It was good to feel loved. It put her at ease and let her fall asleep only a few minutes later.

Alex, on the other hand, lay awake. She couldn't get her brain to shut up. Also, she loved the current sleeping position. She wanted to make sure she was awake so she could remember as much of it as possible.

She didn't want to enjoy it as much as she did, but she couldn't help it. However, she knew this was wrong, and it would never work.

With a sigh, she attempted to pull her fingers from Mitchie's grasp. In her sleep, Mitchie held on tighter. Alex let out a deeper sigh.

_You're not making this easy, Torres.

* * *

_

**Oh joy. Review.**

**I am love with the next chapter, just so you guys know. May be a while before it's up, though. I have a few test coming up, as well as midterms. I have a few novels coming up that have to be read for my literature class, and I have a research paper worth almost half of my grade that I need to start working on. Things will be hectic. I'll update when I can!**


	15. Sleep Well?

**Disclaimer: I do not on Wizards of Waverly Place or Camp Rock.**

**The Wizards of Waverly Place soundtrack kept playing while I was writing this, even though I had my music on shuffle. Odd.**

**None of you guys played my game. Really sad about this. I was going to give the answer in this chapter, but since there were no players…Never mind.**

**Once again…Twitter: xxMusicxSpazzxx

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The next morning Mitchie woke to find herself very warm. She tried to open her eyes, but only found darkness. Inhaling, a sweet scent entered her nostrils. It was the scent of soap mixed with vanilla, and it was _so_ nice. She lifted her head to discover that her face had been buried in the crook of Alex's neck.

She could distinctly remember her back facing Alex when they'd gone to sleep. She must have turned in her sleep, cuddling closer to the warmth and comfort that was Alex Russo.

Alex's arms still encircled her body, as if keeping Mitchie safe from the outside world. Mitchie's own arms had somehow found their way around Alex's waist. She had no idea when that had happened.

She was still really tired and wanted to just put her head back in its previous position, breathing Alex in until she was forced to get up. With the amount of sunlight streaming through her curtains, she could tell it was getting late in the morning, though, which meant Alex would have to be leaving to go to work at her family's sub shop.

She looked upon Alex's face, the sunlight from her cream colored curtains giving her skin a healthy glow. Each time Alex took a breath, Mitchie could feel her chest rising and falling against her own. Her lips were parted only slightly, barely at all, making them slightly pouty, and she looked so peaceful. Even in sleep, Alex Russo was absolutely beautiful.

Mitchie's heart fluttered as she watched her sleep. Once again, she wondered what it was with Alex that made her such a puzzle. She still had no idea why she'd been so anxious to meet her, then so afraid once she actually did. And never before in her entire life, with the exception of Caitlyn, had Mitchie felt so close to someone so quickly. In fact, she felt a little closer to Alex than she did to Caitlyn. After all, Caitlyn had never held her all night, basically cuddling.

Mitchie had never had many friends, only one in school and only a few at Camp Rock, so she didn't know if embracing your friends while you slept was a normal thing. She was pretty sure it _wasn't_. This didn't seem like a normal friendship at all. Then again, Alex wasn't a normal girl, now was she? There was definitely something about her, some charm that made her stand out.

She was so beautiful and confident, something Mitchie had never felt herself to be. Camp Rock was supposed to help her find confidence and make her more comfortable in her own skin, and it did…For about three hours. She was sure if that party had never happened, she would have taken away so much more from the summer music camp. But as it was, it did happen. And all she'd gotten to bring home with her was a feeling of abandonment and eighteen years of responsibility.

Alex stirred, her eyelids slowly sliding open. Mitchie had the urge to pretend to be asleep, but what would be the point? Alex had already seen she was awake anyway. So she simply smiled at the just-awakened girl. Alex's eyelids were about to droop closed again when she realized that Mitchie was smiling at her. When she took notice of their current position, she froze. She didn't know whether she should smile back, pretend to go back to sleep, scoot away, or what. So, she did the first thing that came to mind.

"I have to pee," she said.

* * *

Alex washed her face and brushed her teeth with the brush she'd used the night before. She looked at herself in the mirror, feeling incredibly stupid.

'_I have to pee.' Great job, Russo,_ she thought to herself bitterly. Mitchie probably thought she was an idiot.

As soon as she opened the bathroom door, the smell of bacon hit her. Her mouth started to water almost instantly. She followed the smell to the living room. Mitchie's voice floated to her ears from the kitchen. She walked around the dividing wall to find Mitchie sitting at the small kitchen table, her back to Alex, while Connie stood at the stove. Bacon was sizzling in a pan and there was a small stack of pancakes on a plate on the counter.

"Morning, Alex," Connie said when she noticed their visitor.

Mitchie turned to face her friend, a smile making its way to her face. "Hey."

"Hey," Alex responded softly. She shuffled over to the table, sitting in the spot she usually sat in for tutoring sessions. Mitchie was currently seated in Justin's usual spot, which just confused the hell out of Alex. She had issues with change.

"Sleep well, girls?" Connie asked, flipping the pancake she was busy making.

"Fantastic," Mitchie said, not taking her eyes from Alex.

"Yeah." Alex nodded. "Like a baby."

Mitchie, relieved that Alex didn't seem freaked out by the way they'd slept, got up from the table.

"I'm going brush my teeth and wash my face," she announced.

Before she left the room, she reached out and ruffled Alex's somewhat messy hair. This went unnoticed by Connie, but Alex sucked in a breath, holding it while she watched Mitchie walk away.

"You can make yourself a plate and get started eating if you want, Alex," Connie said, turning off the stove. She placed the final pancake on the stack and the last of the bacon into the plate with the rest.

"Thank you," Alex said, standing. She picked up a plate off the counter and helped herself to a few strips of bacon and three pancakes. She sat back at the table and immediately picked up the syrup. She drowned her entire serving in the thick, sweet liquid. Then she sat there and stared at her masterpiece.

Connie fixed herself a plate and sat at the table. She lifted her fork and was about to dig in when she looked up and saw that Alex was staring at her food.

"Alex?" she asked, tearing the girl's eyes from her steaming plate.

"Yes?"

"Why aren't you eating?"

"I'm waiting for Mitchie," Alex said.

This impressed Connie. She hadn't expected Alex to have such good manners. Most teens just dove right in, forgetting their friends when it came to food.

"She's probably going to be a while." Connie smiled a little. "Go ahead and eat. She won't be offended."

"I don't know…" Alex stared at her food longingly. Eating did sound pretty good.

"Alex, eat." Connie picked a fork up from the table and handed it to the girl.

Alex took it. "Okay." And that was all she needed. She attacked small, steaming pile of pancakes first. She nearly moaned in ecstasy. These were the best pancakes she'd ever eaten. They were so light and fluffy, with a hint of cinnamon. "These are amazing," she said to Mitchie's mom once she'd swallowed her mouthful of heaven.

"Thank you," Connie said. She picked up the cartoon of milk from the table. "Milk?"

"Yes, please."

When Mitchie walked back into the kitchen, she found her mother pouring a glass of milk for Alex. That was odd. She'd never poured milk for Sierra the times she'd come to visit. Then again, her mother had never really liked Sierra. She didn't even remember her name. But last time Mitchie checked, her mom wasn't too fond of Alex either.

Mitchie disregarded the interaction between her parent and friend and set to work loading her own plate with food. It all smelled so good. Her stomach was churning like crazy. She was just glad it wasn't making noise. That would have been embarrassing.

As soon as she sat at the table, she loaded her pancakes with syrup and started shoveling the food in her mouth, unlike she'd ever done before. She was usually much more poise and proper when she ate. But this morning she was _starving._

"Slow down, Mitchie," Connie warned her. "You're going to make yourself sick."

"Sorry, Mom." Mitchie wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I'm just really hungry."

"Why?" Connie asked. "Did you not eat a big supper?"

"Actually, we didn't eat supper at all," Mitchie said, realizing. "We just had popcorn at the movies."

"Mitchie! That is so unhealthy!" Connie scolded.

"That's my fault, Mrs. Torres," Alex said quickly, not wanting Mitchie to get in trouble. "I should have planned in more time for us to get something to eat. Or at least have stopped for a hotdog."

"It's not your fault, Alex," Mitchie said. "I should have told you I hadn't eaten, or ate before we left."

"Well no matter whose fault, you need to start eating three meals a day," Connie said. "It's bad for the baby if you skips meals. And, healthier meals, too. Starting now." She grabbed Mitchie's plate and tried to take it away.

Mitchie took hold of it. "Can I start at lunch?" She offered a shy smile. Her mother gave her a stern look. "Your pancakes are my favorite," she defended with a pout.

"Fine." She let go of the plate. "But I'm making you a doctor's appointment. We need to start taking care of this."

"Thank you," Mitchie said, leaning over her plate to finish eating quickly before her mom could change her mind.

Alex just kept eating and tried to remain quiet. She felt really awkward being in the middle of this.

Mitchie looked at Alex's plate to see how much she had left to eat.

"You put syrup on your _bacon_?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.

"Yes," Alex said. "Don't you?"

Mitchie shook her head. "No. It seems like it would be gross."

"It's not gross!" Alex frowned a little. "It's the perfect combination of salty and sweet. Here, try." She picked up one of her strips of bacon and handed it to Mitchie.

Mitchie looked at it skeptically before taking it. Hesitantly, she brought it to her mouth. She bit off a small piece, tasting it. When both flavors hit her taste buds, she lifted her eyebrows in surprise. She popped the rest of the piece of bacon into her mouth and chewed happily, a smile on her face.

Alex chuckled. "I told you."

Mitchie swallowed. "Yeah, you did. Who knew you could actually be right about something?"

"Keep talking, Torres." Alex smirked at her.

* * *

A half hour later, Alex had changed back into her clothes from the night before and was standing by the door, ready to go. She had to work in the sub shop all day. She didn't know what time she was supposed to be there, and her dad hadn't called looking for her yet, but she didn't want to push her luck.

"I'll see you Monday," Alex said as she and Mitchie stood in the doorway awkwardly, saying goodbye as Connie cleared the table of their breakfast plates.

"Yeah." Mitchie nodded. "Text me when you get home so I know you got there safely."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Mitchie, you do know I've been living in this city my whole life and know it like the back of my hand, right?"

Mitchie's face went a little pink. "Just do it, okay? Please?"

"Alright, I will." She smiled slightly. "Bye." She put her hand on the doorknob to leave.

Mitchie reached her arms up and put them around Alex's neck. Alex froze momentarily, then removed her hand from the doorknob and wrapped her arms around Mitchie's waist. She closed her eyes and squeezed as tightly as she could without hurting Mitchie, inhaling her scent one last time before she would be away from her for a whole day.

"Bye," Mitchie whispered, pulling out of the hug.

Alex gave her a small smile and a nod before turning and leaving. Mitchie stared at the closed door, not focusing on it. Her stomach felt hollow, even though it was nothing of the sort, what will at the pancakes she ate and her unborn child. But she felt sad, depressed. She missed Alex. Her absence was palpable.

In the past, whenever she'd had a friend (really only Sierra) over, she couldn't wait for her to leave. But with Alex, she didn't _want_ her to. She'd never had Caitlyn over−they'd only interacted over the phone and at Camp Rock−so she wasn't sure if it was one of those feelings specific to Alex, like she'd realized that she had. But at the moment, all she wanted was for Alex to walk back in, announce that she was ditching work, and spend the whole day with her. But she knew it was useless thinking that. It wasn't going to happen.

"I hate to admit when I'm wrong," Connie said, "but I may have judged Alex too quickly."

"Hmm?" Mitchie asked, tearing her eyes from the door. She looked at her mother in surprise. "Did you just admit to being wrong?"

"Yes." Connie nodded, wiping the grease from the pan in which she'd fried the bacon. "I actually kind of like her."

"You _like_ her?" Mitchie asked in disbelief. The only one of her friends that Connie had ever liked was Caitlyn. All the others she either didn't care for or had bad feelings about, like Tess and Shane. And she was usually a pretty good judge of character and was never initially wrong.

"Yes," Connie repeated. "She was very polite and had an air of confidence about her that I really liked." She put the pan under the faucet to rinse it off. "And she seemed to really care about you. I told her to fix herself a plate, and she did. Then she just stared at it when she clearly wanted to devour the entire thing because she wanted to wait for you to get out of the bathroom."

"Really?" Mitchie had to stop herself from going _awe_. Instead she just smiled. "That's really sweet."

"I know." Connie smiled as well. "Thank you for making me give her a chance."

"No, Mom, thank you…For giving her one."

* * *

"I'm sorry I'm so late!" Alex said, rushing into the kitchen of the sub shop.

Jerry, who had been busy setting up the ingredients to get him through the morning, looked up. "Alex, it's only," he checked his watch, "nine thirty. We don't open until ten. And I wasn't planning on calling you in until the lunch rush at eleven."

"But you said I had to work all day," Alex said. "And usually you make me get up at eight to start setting up when I have to work all day or in the morning."

"Yeah," Jerry said, crossing his arms and leaning against the metal table where he made sandwiches. "But since you were at Mitchie's, you probably stayed up late, so I let you sleep. And I thought you could use a bit of a break anyway. You've been doing so well with your school work lately, and haven't gotten into any trouble, so you deserve it."

"Are you serious?" Alex asked in disbelief. Was her dad actually cutting her some slack?

"Yes." Jerry nodded. "In fact, if you keep it up, I might even lift your magic restriction."

"Thank you!" Alex exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her father's midsection. "I'm just going to go upstairs to take a quick shower, but I'll be down in time for opening. I promise!"

"Take all the time you need." Jerry smiled as he watched his daughter run from the kitchen, towards the spiral stairs leading to the Russo home.

Alex took them two at a time as she ascended them. When she reached the living room, she stopped to say hi to her mother.

"Hi, Momma," she said, giving her a smile and a wave.

"Momma?" Theresa said. "Hold on there. Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm great." Alex smiled wider.

"Well, did you have a good time with Mitchie?"

"A blast." She started climbing the stairs. "You know, now that I think of it, her mom kind of looks like you," she said as she made her way up.

In the hall, Justin ducked and covered his head when he saw Alex coming his way.

"Morning, Justin," she said as she brushed past him.

Justin looked up, surprised. He stared in disbelief as Alex walked away from him, right to her room, without so much as calling him a single name, let alone cause him physical pain. Hadn't she been mad at him the day before? And was that a smile he'd spotted on her face?

"Max!" Justin caught his younger brother as he came out of his room.

"Yeah?" Max asked, his brown eyes taking in his brother's almost panicked state.

"Have you seen Alex yet this morning?"

"No." Max shook his head of short brown curls. "But I can go check her room if you're looking for her."

"No, don't!" He darted a glance at Alex's bedroom door. "There's something weird going on with her."

"Is she growing a second head?" Max asked excitedly. "If she is, she's so lucky! I've been trying to do that for almost a year now! I really want to eat something spicy with one mouth and drink something with the other to see if it won't burn. Or eat a peanut butter sandwich in one and a jelly sandwich in another to see if it would mix the tastes! I'd name my second head Jimmy."

Justin stared at Max, deciding it was best to ignore his odd little brother's babbling stupidity. "Just run in the other direction if you see her coming, okay?"

"No way! I want to poke her second head!" Max smiled goofily and started to walk away.

"She doesn't have a second head!"Justin called after him, but his exclamation fell onto deaf ears. Max had left the building (figuratively speaking, of course; in all actuality, he just went downstairs).

* * *

Alex gathered the clothes she would be wearing that day and made her way down the hall towards the bathroom. She felt weird taking a shower this early, even just being awake this early. It was rare that she woke up before noon on a Saturday. Then again, she did go to bed pretty early that night. Before midnight, as she recalled from the clock on Mitchie's desk. That wasn't like her at all, but she went to sleep because Mitchie did.

Alex turned the shower on and undressed, allowing the water time to warm. She placed her hand under the stream of water until it was a decent temperature and climbed in.

The water was refreshing and wonderful. She stayed under the stream for a good ten minutes, just enjoying the feeling of the water droplets rolling over her skin. Hell, her dad had told her to take her time, so she would. Her mind went blank as she shampooed her hair, massaging her scalp gently. Her brain flashed back to earlier in the kitchen when Mitchie had ruffled her hair, how that little action caused her to catch a breath.

She'd already admitted to herself that she was attracted to Mitchie, and yes, she knew she was falling for her, but she knew she couldn't let herself fall hard. It was just a little crush, that's all. Nothing more. She could flirt with her a bit, just have fun. It would be a little innocent fun. She wouldn't let herself get her hopes up.

Nothing could happen, this much she was sure of. If it would, it would be a fluke. She knew she and Mitchie had connected and bonded, that much was obvious to anyone with eyes. She could feel herself getting very attached, a little too much. She already felt closer to Mitchie than she'd ever felt to Nikki. Last night had been the best sleep of her entire life. The one night she spent with Nikki didn't even come close in comparison.

* * *

"_Nick, stop." Alex stifled a giggle as Nikki continued to kiss her neck._

"_Come on, Russo." Nikki protested, but stopped anyway. She, just like her younger brother Dean (Alex's current boyfriend) had a habit of calling Alex by her last name. "You're killing the mood."_

_But that's exactly what Alex wanted to do. Kill the mood. _

_Dean had gone to a car show with his dad over the weekend and Nikki and Dean's mom was spending the night at their grandmother's house, so Nikki was going to be home alone. She'd asked Alex to spend the night, for an obvious reason. Alex, not wanting to make Nikki angry, agreed and told her parents she was spending the night at Harper's. The plan was foolproof because Harper was spending the weekend at Nana Franny's so she wouldn't be around to spoil the plan._

_Now, Alex and Nikki had been meeting in secret for about a month when Nikki invited Alex for the night. And Alex knew exactly what Nikki wanted when she asked Alex to stay over._

_Nikki was older, more experienced. She'd slept with a few girls, even a couple of girls before she figured out she was a lesbian. Alex, on the other hand, had only kissed one girl, and that was Nikki. She'd never slept with a boy, either. _

"_Can't we just talk?" Alex asked. She was lying in Nikki's arms, lying with her in her bed. "We never talk."_

"_You don't seem to mind that when you're sneaking in here when you visit my kid brother." Nikki smirked and kissed Alex._

_Alex allowed the kiss, enjoying the feeling of the older girl's lips on her own, but when she felt Nikki's hand going up her shirt, she pulled away. _

"_What is it with you tonight, Russo?" Nikki asked, a little angrily._

"_I just feel like talking, that's all," Alex said. What was she doing? Why was she being so stupid? She'd wanted this, hadn't she? She loved Nikki…Or at least liked her a lot. She knew she didn't love her, but this was the closest thing she'd ever felt to love, and she wanted to get her first time over with, so why not with someone that she liked and was experienced and could make it as good as possible because she knew what she was doing?_

"_Are you wimping on me, Russo?" Nikki quirked a dark eyebrow. _

"_Not at all." Alex grabbed Nikki's face and pulled it towards her own. She let Nikki kiss her, wishing to take over the dominance roll, but knowing better. Then one time she'd tried, Nikki bit her tongue. When Nikki's hand made its way up her shirt, she let it stay, even though it made her feel very uncomfortable. It wasn't under that hand went to cup her breast that she pulled away._

_Nikki sighed and moved away from Alex completely, turning over to face the wall._

"_I'm sorry!" Alex said, covering her face with her hands. "I don't know what's wrong with me."_

"_You're not ready, that's what!" Nikki said with her thick New York accent._

_Alex removed her hands and turned so that she was looking at Nikki's back. "No, I am. Really!"_

_Nikki snorted. "Could have fooled me."_

_Alex racked her brain, trying to come up with an excuse. "I'm just worried about you. What if someone found out? You're nineteen. I'm underage. You'd go to jail."_

"_I told you I don't care about that!"_

_Alex sighed and looked at the ceiling. For someone who was supposed to be so mature, Alex thought Nikki was acting like a toddler that had been told she couldn't have ice cream for dinner._

"_I really like you, Russo."_

"_I really like you too, Nikki," Alex said, looking at the girl's back._

"_But I don't know how much. You won't show me." Nikki turned over and looked at Alex._

_Alex felt tears pricking her eyes. This time it was her turn to turn away. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, tears slide down her face, one falling on the bed sheet and the other not passing over her nose._

"_I'm just fifteen," she said, her voice shaking._

_She felt the bed dip as Nikki scooted closer to her, her arms snaking around Alex's body. Nikki brought one hand up and stroked Alex's hair._

"_Oh baby, I'm sorry," Nikki cooed. "I didn't realize how scared you were." She pressed their bodies together. "Don't worry. We can try again some other time, when you're ready."_

_Nikki moved Alex's hair, exposing her neck. There, she placed a kiss, then brushed her nose against the skin on Alex's neck. They lay together like that. Every time Nikki breathed, her chest pressed against Alex's back, and Alex hated it. After a while, Nikki's breathing slowed, and Alex knew she was asleep. Sleep never came for Alex. She was too uncomfortable. She hated being held. She wanted to _hold_. She didn't like feeling this weak and powerless with someone. With Nikki's body pressed against her, her body temperature went up. She was on fire. Yet, she still felt _cold_.

* * *

_

Alex quickly finished her shower and pulled the shower curtain back. She did it so forcefully that she ripped a bit of it from the metal rings.

"Shit," she muttered angrily. "I'll get Justin to fix it later."

She dressed quickly, the memory of that night with Nikki still playing in her mind. That was the night her infatuation with Nikki ended. That night, for the first time, she saw just how manipulative that girl could be. She'd tried to guilt Alex into giving her what she wanted. She was no better than a guy. And to this day, Alex was thankful she hadn't fallen for it. Instead, she left in the morning, only allowing Nikki to give her a peck on the lips. When she got home, she'd showered. Later, after ignoring all texts from Harper, Dean, and especially Nikki, she finally called her not-girlfriend (as she referred to the older girl) and told her to meet her in the park. There, Alex ended things. Nikki just shrugged and said she'd rather find someone more mature anyway.

"You don't know the first thing about being mature," Alex said aloud to Nikki's memory as she gathered her discarded clothes from earlier. She balled them up and put them under her arm, hanging her towel on the rack, then going back to her room.

She immediately started drying her hair. She was still angry at herself for letting herself get angry in the first place. What happened with Nikki was over a year ago. It was in the past, and it was done with.

When her hair was dry, she tied it up into a loose bun and checked her phone for any messages.

She had two texts from Mitchie. One asking if she'd gotten home alright, and another asking if she was dead. She was about to reply when she got another from Mitchie that said she was calling the cops.

Alex chuckled to herself at Mitchie fretting over her so much, but still felt guilty for forgetting to text her friend to let her know she was safe.

_No need! Call off the man hunt! I'm fine. I was in the shower. I forgot to text you. I'm sorry. I promise to text you when I finish work. And this time I won't forget. I swear!_

She sent the text, smiling to herself. She brought her phone up to her smiling lips, holding it close to her face. For what reason, she didn't know, but she did it.

Seeing the pile of clothes she'd worn the night before still rolled up in a ball, she set her phone down and sat on her bed. She plucked her shirt from the pile and looked down at it. Hesitantly, she brought the clothing item up to her nose and inhaled deeply.

It smelled just like Mitchie's room, and it was magnificent.

She held a content smile on her face as she recalled the night she'd spent with Mitchie. They'd cuddled. Hell, they'd _spooned_. And Alex had finally gotten to hold someone. It only proved was she was pretty sure she'd already known: she wanted someone to take care of, not to be taken care of. She'd hated being held by Nikki. She'd loved _holding_ Mitchie. Then again, the person could have had something to do with it, too. All she knew was that Mitchie had spent the night in her arms. Despite what she wanted to believe, she knew that she'd enjoyed it, that it'd meant a lot to her. And she was sure it meant something to Mitchie, but not nearly as much. And that was okay with Alex. When she really thought about it, she knew she'd rather have a friendship with Mitchie than a relationship with Nikki any day.

Alex's phone buzzed as another text came in. She flipped it open and read the message.

_Okay. I had a great time last night, by the way. We have to do it again some time! TTYL :)_

Alex smiled again, widely.

There was no comparison. Mitchie won by a mile.

* * *

**Okay, I have so much stuff going on. Don't expect an update for a while. Seriously. I need to focus on school. Sorry about that, but I can promise that next chapter is LONG.**

**So yeah. Go follow me on twitter if you want to know what's going on. I usually post when I'm writing something and am more than happy to answer questions. xxMusicxSpazzxx**

**REVIEW! No, seriously, do it.**


	16. That Wasn't Supposed To Happen

**Sorry for any mistakes. I read it over, but I'm really tired. So…Idk.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place. I do not own Harry Potter, either.**

**Much appreciation to** **truewriter08 and nvrshoutnvr for going back and playing my game! Congrats to truewriter08 for getting it right, and nvrshoutnvr, nice try! :) **

**And to all the twitter followers: I love you! Shout out to aussiegurl0009. You're rather awesome. I like you.

* * *

**

The day for which Mitchie waited two long weeks had finally arrived. Caitlyn was going to be in the same city as her that night. Her plane was coming in that afternoon, and as soon as she was all settled at her dad's house, she was coming over for a sleepover with Mitchie.

Mitchie had given her the address the day before. Caitlyn claimed she'd been to New York for either dance competitions or to visit her dad (more often for dancing) so many times that she could get herself to Mitchie's apartment without a problem.

Mitchie paced up and down her living room. She was home alone, thankfully, so she didn't have her parents staring at her like she was crazy. It was Saturday afternoon, and she'd been awake since before her parents left for work. Any other day, she'd have school with Justin and Alex to occupy her. But since it was a weekend, she was all by her lonesome while she waited the gruesome hours for Caitlyn to arrive.

She had so much to tell her best friend. Starting with Alex. It had become apparent to Mitchie that she had an unhealthy attachment to her new, strange friend. She still hadn't figured out the mystery that was Alex Russo. Mitchie had no idea why she felt like she needed to be near Alex all the time.

Actually, that was a lie. She had an idea, but she was having trouble coming to terms with it. She'd noticed that the way she was reacting to Alex, what she was feeling, it was almost like… a crush. But that was impossible. It couldn't happen. Not now, especially not _now_. She had always liked guys and never had these feelings for a girl, right? This is where is got confusing. She was pretty sure Alex wasn't the first girl to make Mitchie react this way.

Just thinking about it made Mitchie anxious. She needed to talk to someone about this. She couldn't tell her mom; she wouldn't understand. And she sure as hell couldn't tell Alex. She didn't want to scare Alex off, after all. So naturally, that left Caitlyn, whom she'd wanted to go to first anyway. But she felt this wasn't the type of conversation to have over the phone. She decided the best thing to do was wait until she was with her face-to-face.

She'd been waiting for nearly two weeks, ever since she woke up in Alex's arms, to have this conversation, and she just wanted to get it all out in the open. Once she said it aloud, admitted it to someone, it would become real, official. Until then, it was an idea in her head. The sooner it was out there, the sooner she could decide how to deal with it and move on.

She checked the clock on the wall and let out an audible groan. It was only a few minutes past two. Caitlyn's plane wasn't due to arrive until some time after seven that night. She still had over five hours to wait, holding in her troublesome thoughts.

* * *

Alex admired the new wand in her hand. Her father had taken her to get it in the Wizard World that morning. Justin had given her and Mitchie a math test Thursday, on which she had gotten a very high B, so Jerry had been so impressed he'd agreed to let Alex do magic again. He was a little annoyed that he had to spend money on a new wand for her, but he knew that it was his fault since he'd snapped her old one.

Alex's new wand was much more sophisticated than her old one. Her old one had been red with a clear orb on the end that lit up when she did spells. This one was slender, sleek, and black. No orb on the end. She felt powerful holding it in her hand. She smiled to herself as she lit up its tip and waved the light back in forth in front of her face. She couldn't wait to show Harper.

Her smile faltered. She'd forgotten that Harper had a date with Jeremy from science that night. She wouldn't be able to see her until the next day. So who could she show now?

She couldn't show Mitchie. Her new friend didn't know about magic, and probably never would. Telling Harper had been a risk, a big one at that. Telling another mortal would mean she would lose her powers. She knew she would lose them eventually when Justin won the wizard competition, but she didn't want to lose them so soon. Especially not after she'd just gotten her wand back. She'd missed being able to cast spells just for the hell of it.

A knock on her door made Alex look up. Instead of walking over to open it or telling the person to walk in, she waved her wand and the door opened.

Justin smiled and shook his head at her. "Enjoying the new wand, I see."

"Yes!" Alex exclaimed, her smile returning. "If I could marry it, I would."

Justin walked over to his sister. "May I see it?" He held out his hand.

"Okay, but only for a second," Alex said reluctantly, placing the black, magical stick in her brother's hand.

He examined the beautiful wand carefully, turning it over in his hand. He let out a low whistle. He really was impressed. It was even nicer than his. The only wand he'd even seen that was nicer than this one was the family's wand, which he hoped to claim as his own in a few years. However, he wouldn't mind having one like Alex's. This one was so light; it must have made casting spells so simple.

"Sure beats only being able to do weak spells with finger magic, huh?" He handed the wand back to her.

"I could have been doing finger magic this whole time?" She slipped her wand into her boot, where she loved keeping it most. "Damn it! I forgot we could do that."

"And this is why you should pay more attention in wizard lessons." Justin chuckled at his sister.

"You can get out."

"Oh come on, I was just kidding."

"I know," Alex said. "But I still want you to get out."

"Alex, it was a joke!"

"Justin, I have things to do." She started pushing him towards the door. "Shoo. Go, go, go."

"Fine," he grumbled. "But if you want help to relearn spells, don't come crying to me."

"Trust me, I won't." She shut the door and let out a sigh.

She really hadn't had things to do, she just didn't want her brother in her room anymore. She was starting to get sick of him. After all, he was her teacher now. Hanging out with your teacher was weird. And spending that much time with her brother made her sick. She wasn't the type to do such things.

Looking around her room, though, she almost wished she hadn't kicked him out. She'd been dreadfully bored before he came in. Sure, her wand entertained her for a few minutes, but it was getting old.

She checked her phone for what felt like the fiftieth time that day. She'd yet to receive a text from Mitchie, which was odd. They'd been texting almost nonstop since their movie date−not date…Oh, whatever!

Thinking about Mitchie made Alex feel guilty. Mitchie had divulged such a huge secret to Alex. That took so much courage and trust. Mitchie trusted Alex so much, enough to tell a not-so-flattering part of her past, but here Alex was, with two gigantic secrets that she couldn't bring herself to reveal to Mitchie.

Sure, the wizard thing wasn't really hers to tell since it involved her entire family, but there was something else. Mitchie still had no clue about Alex's sexuality. Alex hadn't told her, which meant she wasn't lying to Mitchie, but she wasn't being honest with her, either.

Alex didn't know what to do. She wasn't exactly keeping the fact that she was a gay a secret, since her family knew, but she wasn't going shout it in the streets, either. She couldn't judge how Mitchie would react. Would she be okay, or would she freak out? Maybe it would be different if they hadn't spent the night embracing. But since they had, Mitchie might think Alex had been making a move. However, that wasn't how it was at all. Mitchie had been the one to suggest the sleeping position. But would that matter in the end, once Mitchie found out that Alex was gay?

One thing was for sure, and that was Alex was not going to, under any circumstance, tell Mitchie about her attraction for her.

But she knew she had to come out to Mitchie. It was the right thing to do. Eye for an eye, secret for a secret. The sooner she told her, the better.

She checked the time on her phone. It was only a little past two. She knew that Mitchie's friend Caitlyn was going to be arriving that night, but that wasn't until later. This was another reason to tell Mitchie. Alex could already feel herself becoming jealous of Caitlyn, and she hadn't even gotten here yet. Coming out to someone could make you closer friends. It had definitely made her and Harper closer, if that was even possible. She was afraid that once Caitlyn arrived, Mitchie would feel like she didn't need Alex anymore. More than anything, Alex couldn't stand the thought of losing this girl.

But that's what coming out could cause. She had a feeling Mitchie wouldn't hate her, but you could never be sure with these things. It was such a taboo subject.

Maybe the best thing to do was just not dwell on it too much, and do it soon to get it over with. The sooner she told Mitchie, the sooner they could move past this and get on with their friendship. It was like ripping the band aide off. She just had to summon up the courage and do it.

She stood in the middle of her room for a few more minutes. Should text Mitchie and ask if she could go over, surprise her by just showing up unannounced, or just drop it? In the end, she grabbed her sunglasses off her nightstand and headed out. Mitchie was going to have a surprise show up on her doorstep.

* * *

Mitchie stopped her pacing when she heard a knock at her front door. Not having any idea who it could possibly be, she curiously crossed over to the door. She looked through the peep hole, but whoever had knocked was standing where she couldn't see them. Slightly annoyed, she opened the door just enough to see out.

A brown eye appeared in the small gap.

"Boo!" Half of a white-toothed grin let a giggle flow to Mitchie's ears.

She screamed in excitement, not fear, and opened the door widely. She grabbed her visitor by the wrist and pulled her inside, engulfing her in a huge hug soon after.

"Now that's what I call a greeting," Caitlyn Geller smirked, pulling out of the embracement her best friend had wrapped her in.

"What are you doing here?" Mitchie's smile was so big her face hurt. "You weren't supposed to be in until tonight."

"I got an earlier flight," Caitlyn said, running a hand through her messy, light brown curls. "My dad picked me up at the airport. I just put my bags down at his place and came straight here."

"Don't you have to unpack?" Mitchie quirked an eyebrow at her.

"I can do that later." Caitlyn waved off her comment. "Besides, I only have a few bags. Most of my stuff won't be in until Monday. And plus, I couldn't wait to see you. I missed you too much."

"I missed you too!" Mitchie smiled again. "We have so much to talk about."

"Yes, we do." Caitlyn nodded her agreement. "But first, I really have to pee. Where's your bathroom?"

Mitchie pointed to the hallway. "First door on the right."

"Thanks!" And with that, she dashed off to the bathroom.

Mitchie smiled to herself, very much amused. Gosh, she'd missed Caitlyn something awful. It was going to be so good having her here, especially when it got closer to the baby's due date. There were so many things she wanted to tell Caitlyn, from how much she loved home schooling, all the way to possible baby names she'd come up with. But most importantly, she needed to tell her about her troubling feelings for Alex. She didn't want to start off with that, though. She wanted to gradually move into that particular subject. But how do you go from school to being confused about your sexuality?

As she pondered, there was another knock at the door. Still lost in her thoughts, Mitchie absentmindedly opened the door.

"Alex!" she exclaimed when she saw the girl standing there, sunglasses hooked on the collar of her black t-shirt with a guitar design on the front. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," she said, wringing her hands nervously. "I know I should have called, but this is kind of important."

Mitchie took in her friend's state. She'd never seen her this vulnerable before. This must have been big.

"Well…" Mitchie checked over her shoulder to see if Caitlyn was out of the bathroom yet.

"Is this a bad time?" Alex asked. She felt so stupid. She should have called first.

"Who's that?" A voice Alex had never heard before asked.

Alex stood on her tip toes and craned her neck to see around Mitchie. There was a girl that was a stranger to Alex standing in Mitchie's living room, but Alex knew who she was; she'd seen enough pictures to know. This was the famous Caitlyn, the one that Mitchie had been gabbing about for the past week, the one that wasn't supposed to be here for another few hours.

"I didn't know you had company," Alex said, her face red. "I'm sorry. I'll just go home."

"Alex, you don't have to go," Mitchie said, trying to stop her.

"No, I will." She started to back away. "I should have called first anyway. Sorry to bother you."

"Alex…"

Alex ran to the stairwell, and as soon as she was sure she was out of Mitchie's sight, she took her wand from her boot, spun it around, and vanished into thin air.

"Alex!" Mitchie called when Alex started going down the stairs. Her head disappeared from sight as she continued down them. Mitchie went out into the hall and looked over the railing, hoping to see that Alex had stopped. But, Alex was nowhere to be seen. It's like she would have completely faded away. Puzzled, Mitchie went back to her apartment. "She's gone," she told Caitlyn as she closed the door behind her.

"So that was Alex, I take it?" Caitlyn asked sarcastically. Mitchie had only said her name three times.

"Yeah…" Mitchie stared at the closed door.

"What did she want?"

"She said she wanted to talk to me, that it was important." Mitchie shrugged. "But then she ran off."

"Probably because she saw me here," Caitlyn mused. "If I had to tell someone something important, and there was some strange girl standing there that I didn't expect to be there, I'd run off too."

"You're not strange, Cay."

Caitlyn raised her eyebrows. "You have met me, right?"

At this, Mitchie had to laugh. "True."

"So, are you going to go talk to her?"

"Why? She ran off."

"Yeah, but it seemed important," Caitlyn said. "From where I was standing, she looked a little scared. I think you should go find out what she wanted to talk to you about."

"But you just got here," Mitchie said.

"And I'm going to come back later for our sleepover." Caitlyn nodded. "But right now I think it's really important that you go talk to Alex."

"I don't know where she lives," Mitchie admitted.

"Oh my goodness!" Caitlyn exclaimed, walking over to the door and opening it.

Mitchie stayed put as Caitlyn crossed the hall. She heard her friend knock on someone's door, which was soon followed by a short, muffled conversation with the person that resided in the apartment across the hall. A minute or so later, Caitlyn returned with a phonebook.

"Give this back to the guy across the hall when you're done with it," she said, placing the thick book on the table. "You do know her parents' names, right?"

"Yes," Mitchie said shyly. "I also know that she lives above the Waverly Sub Station."

"Well that's something," Caitlyn commented. "If you can't find her address by her parents' names, then look up that place of business. Point is, find her. And if you can't, call her. Call her and call her until she answers you. Then, you go talk to her. I'm going to go unpack the few bags I have, and get stuff ready to come over here tonight. Ready?" She put her hand out, palm down. She looked at Mitchie expectantly until Mitchie placed her hand on top of Caitlyn's. "Go team!" Caitlyn exclaimed, throwing her and Mitchie's hands up in the air.

"You are such a dork." Mitchie smiled at her.

* * *

Alex appeared in her bedroom, thankfully. It had been so long since she'd cast that spell that she wasn't sure if she'd gotten it right at first, but apparently she had. One of the reasons she hadn't wanted to use it to go to Mitchie's was that she was afraid she wouldn't end up in the right place after not practicing for so long. Also, she'd wanted more time to get her thoughts together about what she was going to say.

What had she been thinking just showing up at Mitchie's like that? Of course she should have called or texted first. But, she hadn't expected anyone to be there. Mitchie had said Caitlyn wasn't going to be in until that night. Why was she there?

She knew it was wrong to be angry at Caitlyn. After all, she hadn't done anything wrong. Alex was the one that was wrong to assume Mitchie would be alone.

Deciding it was best to do something constructive instead of stay up in her room angry with herself, she made her way down to the sub shop.

"Alex, what are you doing down here?" Her dad asked when he saw her. "Your shift isn't until the dinner rush."

"I know," she said, nodding. "But I'm really bored. I need something to do. Can I just work for a little while?"

"I don't know…"

"You don't have to pay me."

"Okay!" Jerry smiled happily. He loved free work. "Wash your hands and help your mother deliver sandwiches."

Alex did as she was told, taking her time to make sure she got her hands extra clean. Jerry handed her sandwich basket as soon as she'd dried her hands.

"This goes to table three," he said.

Alex brought the basket over. Sitting at the table was a guy about her age. He'd been in here a couple of times before.

"Can I get you anything else?" Alex asked as she placed his food in front of him.

"How about your phone number?" He leaned his elbows on the table and fixed her with a slightly crooked smile.

Alex raised her eyebrows with him. She could tell he was cute. He had shining blue eyes and short black hair. She was sure any other girl would have been extremely flattered, but Alex just wasn't attracted to him. And plus, his forwardness was not something she found to be a good quality. He knew nothing about her, after all. So, the only quality he seemed to care about was looks. Besides, what kind of loser goes to a sub shop by himself on a Saturday afternoon, not even during a specific meal time, just to hit on a girl?

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't think that's on the menu," she said before turning and walking away.

When she passed by the register, her mother grabbed her arm. "He was cute, Alex. Was he flirting with you?"

"Gay, Mom!" Alex frowned, pointing to herself. "Remember?"

Her mother's smile dropped. "Oh, that's right. I forgot."

Alex sighed and rolled her eyes. She placed her elbows on the counter, leaning her chin on her hands. There were only three people in the restaurant at the moment−Creeper (as Alex thought he should be called), and an elderly couple that came in every Saturday at the same time.

She could see that Creeper was eating extremely slow, but taking huge gulps of his drink. After only a minute or two, he needed a refill. He raised his empty glass and smiled at her expectantly.

She groaned. "Do you remember what he was drinking?" she asked her mother, nodding in the weirdo's general direction.

Her mother glanced up at him briefly from her romance novel she was reading to pass the time during the slow business hour. "Root beer."

Alex grabbed the pitcher of root beer and went over to him.

"So, you got a name?" He smiled at her again as she refilled his drink.

"Doesn't everyone?" she asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.

"Sure. Mine's Gabe," he said. "What's yours?"

She sighed heavily through her nose. Couldn't he take a hint? "It's Alex."

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you, Alex." He held out his hand, Alex assumed for her to shake.

"Uh huh," was all Alex said. She didn't bother shaking his hand, just walked away with the pitcher of root beer.

"Alex, that was rude," her mother hissed at her. "I know you're not interested in him, but he's still a customer, and you need to be polite!"

"Sorry, Mom, I'm just not in the mood to be hit on by creeps that won't back off."

"Well, go give him his bill and apologize." She handed a slip of paper to Alex.

"In a minute," Alex said, pocketing the paper. She didn't want to rush back over there too soon. Let him sweat it out a bit. Seeing him sitting there looking dejected made her feel a little bad, but it was for the best. If she'd been nice, he'd have thought he had a chance, which he clearly didn't.

After dodging Gabe's attempts to make eye contact with Alex, she finally walked over to him, took the sales slip from her pocket, and placed it on the table in front of him. His hand reached for it before she could take hers away. His fingers brushed with hers, too rough for her liking.

She looked up from the slip on the paper to his face, their eyes meeting.

"Thank you," he said gently, like she'd given him a great gift or something.

"Uh, you're welcome?" Alex pulled her hand away quickly.

"Look, Alex, I'm sorry if I was coming on too strongly before," he started. "It's just…I come in here all the time, and I see you, and you're so pretty. I thought if I came in when no one else was here, it might be easier to talk to you. But I suck at talking to girls, and end up coming off as a jerk, if I can get the courage to say anything at all. I have little confidence, and then when I try to pretend like I do, I act like I have too much," he rambled, then stopped to take a breath. "I just wanted you to give me a chance, but I guess I blew it, huh?"

Alex sighed and sat down in the booth seat across from him. "Gabe, I'm sorry. You're right, you seemed like a jerk before, but now you seem like a pretty decent guy. But, don't take this the wrong way, you're just not my type." She offered him a small smile. She really did feel bad for the guy. Heck, if she'd have been straight, she probably would have liked him. "All I could really offer you is friendship, but I'd have to get to know you first even for that. Okay?"

"Okay." He nodded solemnly.

"And who knows, if you keep coming in here and don't try to hit on me, maybe some day you'll get my phone number." She smirked.

"Looking forward to it." He smiled at her hopefully.

As Alex was slipping out of the booth to get back to work, the bell above the door rang, signaling that someone had come in. Alex's eyes shifted to the entrance way. Her heart nearly stopped when her gaze landed on Mitchie. They both stared at each other, surprised to see one another. Alex hadn't expected Mitchie to be here at all, and Mitchie hadn't expected Alex to be the first thing she saw when she opened the door.

"Hey," Mitchie said softly.

"How'd you know where I lived?" Alex asked, remembering that Mitchie had never been to her residence before.

"Phone book," Mitchie answered simply. "And my phone has a GPS." She held up her phone, its screen lit up with the map still on it. "Can we talk?"

"Sure. Come with me," Alex said. She turned and walked over to the stairs, completely forgetting about Gabe.

"Alex?" Theresa asked when she saw Alex was about to go upstairs with a girl she'd never seen before. "You're working. Where do you think you're going?"

"Upstairs to my room," Alex said. "I was only working because I was bored. I wasn't getting paid. And plus, it's not like you need me right now anyway. This place is dead."

Theresa looked around, realizing that her daughter was right. The elderly couple had left, and the only person still there was poor, forgotten, rejected Gabe.

"Well, who's this?" she asked, gesturing towards Mitchie.

"Mitchie," Alex said. "Bye." She turned to Mitchie and grabbed her wrist. "Let's go," she said, and started pulling the other girl up the stairs.

Theresa tried to say something to Mitchie about how it was nice to meet her, but Alex already had her halfway up the stairs. Soon, they'd disappeared from sight completely.

"Where'd Alex go?" Jerry asked, poking his head out the window of the kitchen.

"She has a friend over." Theresa smiled. "Mitchie."

Both of her parents were very pleased about this. They knew Mitchie had been a wonderful influence on their daughter so far. As far as they were concerned, the more time Alex spent with Mitchie, the better.

* * *

As soon as they got to Alex's room, she started pacing. Normally, Mitchie would have liked to look around and inspect everything, but she didn't really get the chance. Instead, she just sat on Alex's bed and watched Alex pace nervously in front of her, glancing every now and then at certain items in the room. It was much nicer than her own, and a whole lot bigger.

"So, you came to my apartment to talk to me," Mitchie said, making Alex stop. "Let's talk."

"I'm trying to get my thoughts together," Alex said, resuming pacing.

"Okay," Mitchie said patiently. She could tell this was big.

"A few weeks ago, you told me a pretty big secret," Alex said.

"Right." Mitchie nodded, watching Alex go back and forth. Mitchie wouldn't have been surprised if her black boots started making a rut in the floor.

"Well, I have a few secrets of my own." Alex stopped pacing long enough to catch Mitchie's eye. "And I don't feel right keeping a particularly big one from you."

"Okay," Mitchie said, her heart thudding in her chest. She always got excited when she heard other people's secrets. It made her slightly nervous, but also happy. She'd loved hearing Shane's secrets over the summer, loved being trusted enough to keep them. It felt way more special to her that she was about to hear Alex's, though.

"Before I tell you, you have to understand that I'm scared to tell you this." Alex bit her lip, quickly releasing it after. "I don't want this to affect our friendship. After you know, I'm still going to be the same person I was before, you're just going to know a little bit more about me."

"Alex, no matter what you tell me, I won't look at you any differently," Mitchie said honestly. "After all, I don't exactly have room to judge. Besides, I'm not that kind of person."

Alex nodded slowly, taking a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. _Just spit it out, Russo_.

"I'm a lesbian," she said quickly before she could change her mind.

Mitchie blinked a few times, processing the information. "Okay," she said calmly.

"Okay?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, okay." Mitchie nodded. "You're still Alex. It's no big deal. I wasn't exactly expecting that, but I can deal with it."

Actually, Mitchie could more than deal with it. She accepted it fully. In fact, it helped put a lot of things in perspective. For one thing, she now knew all those times she thought Alex was flirting with her, she probably had been. She wasn't crazy, after all. And all these feelings of closeness weren't just her brain making them up.

"Well…Good, then," Alex said, not really knowing what else to say; she'd expected more of a reaction than that. She sat beside Mitchie on the bed. "You're really fine?"

Mitchie nodded. "Yes. It hasn't changed my view of you at all."

"Alright." Alex smiled happily and kicked her boots off, getting comfortable. "And just so you know, the other night when we slept like…Well, you know." Both girls blushed as Alex continued, "That was completely friendly. I have no intention of jeopardizing our friendship in any way. I would never do that, never go there. I know the lines, I know not to cross them. You have nothing to worry about."

Inside her, Mitchie's confused heart ached slightly. "I wasn't worried," she said softly, tearing her eyes from Alex's and looking at the floor. It was then that she noticed a slender black stick poking out of Alex's boot. She picked it up curiously. "What's this?" she asked, holding it up.

Alex's eyes went to the size of basketballs when she saw that Mitchie was holding her wand. "Oh, nothing. Just a toy."

"Is this a wand?" Mitchie asked, examining it. "Like one of those fake Harry Potter ones they sell?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. Harry Potter. Right." She smirked. If only she knew that Harry Potter was real.

"I didn't know you were into those books," Mitchie said, turning over the wand in her hand.

"I'm not, I just like the movies," Alex said. Actually, she thought the movies were funny. Sure, they were based off true events, but the spells were all made up. Avada Kedavra? Really? Come on, now. "I don't read."

"Maybe you should," Mitchie commented, waving the wand. "You might like it."

"Or maybe I wouldn't," Alex said. "Alright, I'll take that back now." She grabbed for the wand, Mitchie even knowing it existed making her nervous. One bad thing about being an inexperienced wizard, though, is that you don't know how to control your emotions very well. Alex's new wand was a little more powerful than her last. This one connected with her more, was able to pick up on her emotions. When she grabbed it, her nervousness triggered something. Sparks flew from the tip.

Mitchie screamed, jumping backwards. She scooted herself to the other side of the bed, staring at it wide-eyed. "What the hell was that?" She still only used not-so-nice words when she was distressed, much like at that moment.

"It's a really advanced, expensive toy wand," Alex said quickly. "Neat, huh?"

"Alex, toys don't do that!" Mitchie shook her head. "What is that thing?"

Alex racked her brain, trying to come up with a good enough lie. Finally, she muttered, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"What, are you going to tell me that that's a real wand and you're a witch?" Mitchie asked sarcastically. She was scared to death. Sticks weren't supposed to spark like that, after all.

"Actually, girls go by wizards, too," Alex said softly.

"What?" Mitchie asked slowly, not sure she'd heard Alex right.

"My family…We're wizards. Me, Justin, and Max." Alex looked at Mitchie.

"Tell me you're joking."

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

Mitchie bit down on her lip, shaking her head. "This is insane," she said.

"Mitchie, I know it's a little weird−"

"Weird?" She cut Alex off. "Alex, you're freaking me out! Gay I can handle, but magic, spells, wizards? It's too much."

"It may take some time to adjust to the idea," Alex said. "Harper still flips out sometimes."

"I…I just…I can't deal with this right now, Alex." Mitchie stood up. "It's too weird."

"Mitchie…" Alex stood up as well. Her heart was in her throat. She felt panicky. She'd expected her to react this way to the topic of her sexuality. She'd never dreamed she'd have to tell her she was a wizard. And she didn't think it would happen like this if she ever ended up revealing that secret.

"I'll see you later," Mitchie said quickly, rushing out the room.

Alex groaned and threw herself back on the bed. She stared at her ceiling for a few minutes, seething. That wasn't supposed to happen. She just wanted to tell her that she was gay, not that she was a wizard. Now she was just in a big mess.

She sat up abruptly. No. This conversation wasn't over. Mitchie said that no matter what, she wouldn't look at her differently. And Alex was going to hold her to that.

Grabbing her wand again, Alex twirled it around. Her room faded away and soon she was in the alleyway beside the sub shop. She stepped out into the light of day and looked down the street, ready to run after Mitchie. She didn't have to look far, though. A familiar figure was sitting on a bench only a few feet away.

Alex approached slowly. "Hey," she said softly. Mitchie jumped at the sound of her voice. Alex held her hands up. "Whoa. I come in peace." She gestured to the bench. "May I sit?"

"It's a free country," Mitchie muttered.

Alex sat beside her. "What happened to 'no matter what you tell me, I won't look at you differently'? Huh?" she asked a bit angrily. Mitchie had really hurt her feelings.

"I didn't expect you to tell me that you weren't human!" Mitchie looked at her, slightly fearful.

"I am human!" Alex protested. "I'm just magical. And I'm probably going to lose my powers soon anyway."

"Why?" Mitchie asked, barely looking at Alex.

"Because there can only be one wizard in the family," she said. "My dad's brother is his family's, so my dad lost his powers. When Max turns eighteen, my brothers and I have to compete to see who gets to keep ours. Justin's going to win because…Well, because he's Justin, and Max is an idiot, and now that I've told two people, I have no chance."

"Why did you tell me?"

"It was an accident, remember?" Alex looked at her shoes.

"Would you ever have told me on your own?"

Alex shook her head. "Probably not."

Mitchie looked at her. "Why not?"

"Because I was scared of how you'd react. And for good reason, obviously."

Mitchie shook her head, slightly angry. She stood and looked down at Alex. "Why are you even doing this?"

"Doing what?" She looked up at Mitchie.

"This. Coming after me."

"Because I care about you!" Alex said, her eyes boring into Mitchie's. "I don't want to lose you as a friend for something as stupid as this. Because this really is stupid, Mitchie. So I'm a wizard. Big deal. I'm still Alex. I'm still the same girl I was ten minutes ago."

Mitchie's anger subsided. She knew Alex was right.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, sitting back down beside her friend. "I just got scared. I mean, this is big, out of this world big. I'm having trouble processing. Until today, I didn't think wizards existed. And now not only do they exist, but my friend is one? My mind is reeling."

"I know, it's a lot to take in." Alex reached out and tucked a strand of Mitchie's hair behind her ear absentmindedly. She breathed a sigh of relief when Mitchie didn't flinch away. "But you can't tell anyone, Mitch. Mortals aren't supposed to know about us. If the government would find out, they'd come over here and do experiments on us. And if that didn't happen, the wizard government could still find out. And then, they could take our powers away forever. Or maybe even hurt us, or you." She gulped. "Mitchie, if anything ever happened to you because of me, I'd never forgive myself. You can tell the whole world I'm gay, I really don't care about that. But the wizard thing, that's dangerous to know, which is why I didn't want to tell you. So please, whatever you do, don't tell a soul."

"Okay, Alex," she said quietly. "Your secret's safe with me."

"Thank you." Alex reached her arms around Mitchie, pulling her into a hug.

Mitchie buried her face in Alex's shoulder, overwhelmed with all the knowledge she'd acquired about her friend, as she slipped her arms around Alex's midsection. They embraced for a long time, both enjoying the closeness, but not daring to admit it to the other. When they finally pulled away, Alex placed a gentle kiss on Mitchie's forehead.

"Love you, Mitch," she said.

"Love you too, Lex," Mitchie said, using a new nickname for Alex for the first time.

Mitchie was glad she knew both of Alex's secrets now. Sure, the second one had scared her at first, but she could feel herself adjusting. And it was good feeling trusted with it. She had no desire to tell anyone. Just like Alex couldn't stand the thought of Mitchie being hurt because of her, she couldn't stand the thought of Alex being harmed because she couldn't keep her mouth shut.

One secret in particular, though, she felt she did need to tell to someone. Alex was gay. Alex liked girls. Mitchie's world was flipped upside down. Alex, the girl she'd been having confusing feelings about, was in the same boat as her. It made her head swim. What did it mean? Did it mean anything? Should it? It was all so uncertain. But one thing was for sure:

She needed to talk to Caitlyn.

* * *

**Following me on twitter gets you previews to new chapters. Just sayin'. (xxMusicxSpazzxx)  
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**REVIEW!**


	17. Caitlyn Geller Is Awesome

**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place.**

**To a select few: Please stop telling me what to do. I don't tell you how to live your lives, don't tell me how to write my stories. **

**I love all of my readers, but this is upsetting me. What do you want me to do, make Mitchie jump Alex? She isn't even at terms with her feelings for her yet; that wouldn't make sense! I have it all planned out. Trust me, guys.

* * *

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"What's on your mind?" Caitlyn asked Mitchie, who sat up abruptly at the question.

"What do you mean?" Mitchie asked, fidgeting under her best friend's stare.

"Mitchie, come on. I know you," Caitlyn said. "From the moment I walked in the door, I could tell something was going on up there." She tapped Mitchie's forehead with her index finger. "So what is it?"

Mitchie sighed. It never ceased to amaze her how Caitlyn could read her like a book. She loved that about her friend, though. It made bringing up the topic she wanted to talk about, but didn't know how to start saying, so much easier. Since Caitlyn had arrived, Mitchie had been working up the nerve to tell her. Whenever it seemed like a good time, Mitchie would get quiet, trying to stop the conversation long enough to get the first sentence out. But she would just chicken out and start talking again.

"I don't know how to tell you," Mitchie admitted, staring down at her lap. She and Caitlyn were currently both seated on Mitchie's bed cross-legged, facing each other. Mitchie couldn't stand to look Caitlyn in the eyes anymore. Her intense gaze made her even more nervous.

"You didn't know how to tell me about the Shane thing either, but somehow you did," Caitlyn said softly. She placed an encouraging hand on Mitchie's knee. "Look, you know that whatever it is, you can tell me. You know that I'm gonna love and support you no matter what. And you also know that I won't stop bugging you until you tell me, so you might as well spill."

Mitchie looked up to see Caitlyn smirking at her. She had to smile and shake her head at her friend's persistence.

"I don't know, Cay," she said. "This one's new. It's big. And it doesn't just involve me."

"Now what did you do this time?" Caitlyn exclaimed, partially joking.

"Nothing!" Mitchie defended. "Yet…"

"Yet?" Caitlyn raised her eyebrows.

Mitchie sighed. "Maybe I should start from the beginning."

"Yeah, maybe. Then I might actually have a chance of knowing what the hell you're talking about!"

Mitchie blushed a little at how silly she was being and bit down on her thumbnail. This was Caitlyn, for crying out loud! She could tell her _anything_. Why was it so hard to get this out?

"Does this have anything to do with Alex stopping by here this afternoon?" Caitlyn asked curiously.

She released her thumbnail. "You're getting warmer."

"Mitchie, I don't feel like guessing, just tell me!" Caitlyn whined.

Mitchie bit her lip and looked away again. Why couldn't she do this? She'd told her about sleeping with Shane, hadn't she? No…No, she hadn't. Caitlyn had guessed, and Mitchie had only confirmed. So that was why that had been so easy.

"Alex is a lesbian," Mitchie said suddenly, still not looking at Caitlyn. She figured that was the easiest thing to start with, since it wasn't about her.

"Whoa, really?" Caitlyn asked. Mitchie only nodded. "Alright. And that's what she wanted to tell you?" Caitlyn really couldn't see where Mitchie was going with this.

Mitchie gave another nod.

"And are you upset about that…?" Caitlyn seriously had no clue why Alex was telling her this. Unless she was leaving something out…

"No, not at all." Mitchie shook her head, finally looking at Caitlyn. "Actually, I'm kind of honored that she told me herself, made it a point to tell me, and didn't let me find out some other way. I feel like it brought us closer."

"That's cool and everything, Mitchie, but I'm going to be completely honest with you…I have no idea why this is so important that you've been freaking out over telling me all night."

Mitchie's stomach flipped. This was it. She had to say it. And once she did, it would become real. There was no taking it back. Once it was out in the open, she would have to start officially dealing with it.

"I think I have feelings for her, Cay…" She said it so quietly that the girl sitting not even a foot from her almost didn't hear her.

Caitlyn was silent, carefully looking at her friend. Finally, she asked, "You do?"

Mitchie nodded. "Yeah. And it's confusing the crap out of me."

"Did you just say crap?" Caitlyn smirked. Hearing Mitchie say anything you could get in trouble for in school was so odd to her.

"I tell you I have feelings for another girl and you're focused on me cursing?"

"That's not cursing." Caitlyn shook her head.

"Not the point, Caitlyn!" Mitchie threw her hands in the air in exasperation.

"Sorry!" She cleared her throat. "So why do you think you have these feelings for her?"

"Just the way she makes me feel," Mitchie said. How could she explain this in a way Caitlyn could understand? "I feel safe around her. Kind of like I do with you, but different. And she's constantly got me blushing and making my stomach fill with butterflies." She smiled just thinking about it. "She's so caring and loving. You wouldn't think she'd be after she almost burned down her school−"

"Oh yeah, I forgot she did that," Caitlyn interrupted.

"−but she is," Mitchie continued. "And not to mention the fact that she's totally gorgeous. I've seen her with no shirt, and her stomach…Gosh, I would kill for that toned stomach."

"Are you sure you aren't reacting this way to her because you found out she's gay?" Caitlyn asked. "'Cause you know, sometimes that happens. Girls find out their friends are lesbians, so they get curious and develop fake feelings for those friends."

"Did you get that from a Lifetime movie?" Mitchie asked. "Because, I hate to break it to you, not everything they play on Lifetime is real."

"No I didn't get it off Lifetime!" Caitlyn snapped. "I read it in a magazine!"

"Look, it doesn't matter where you got it because that's not what's going on!" Mitchie ran an agitated hand through her long brown hair. "She just came out to me today, and I've been having these feelings since the first day I met her."

"The first day?"

Mitchie nodded. "She made me so nervous I threw up."

"I think the baby may have had a little something to do with that," Caitlyn said.

"But she triggered it!" Mitchie pointed a finger at Caitlyn. "You weren't there. You don't know."

"Well I'm trying to figure it out, but you're making it so damn difficult, Mitchie!" Caitlyn sighed in exasperation. "My god, Chicka, this whole conversation is a jumbled mess. I'm barely following! All I've gotten so far is Alex is gay, and you think you like her, that you have since the first day you met her. Is that right?"

"Pretty much."

"Okay then, continue," Caitlyn waved her hand as if to signal Mitchie to go on. "Tell me everything. I want to understand."

"Well that's the hard part. I don't really know what's happening, either." Mitchie blew her bangs out of her eyes in frustration. I just feel this weird…pull−I think that's the right word−towards her. Like, when Justin described her, I just _had_ to know her. And then when I met her, she had me blushing like a fool. I was terrified of her. Never before had I reacted that strongly to a person before. I just want to be around her and talk to her all the time. And Caitlyn, she gives the _best_ hugs." Mitchie closed her eyes in ecstasy, remembering the feeling of Alex's arms around her. "She smells so good, too," she said, her eyes still closed.

"What does she smell like?" Caitlyn asked curiously.

"Like soap and vanilla." Mitchie opened her eyes, which were clouded over, her brain swimming with the memory of the smell of Alex.

"That's weird. Why do you know this?" Caitlyn blinked rapidly though keeping her eyes trained on Mitchie.

She had to blush at this. "Because she slept over here one night. I told her the story about how I got pregnant, and I cried and she held me until I stopped. Just like you did. And then I felt so vulnerable. I just wanted to feel that comfort I'd felt from earlier. So I asked her if she could hold me while we slept, and she did. I felt safe and at peace, like coming home after a trip, ya know?"

"Kind of…"

"Well, the next morning when I woke up, my face was buried in her neck. I took a big whiff," Mitchie demonstrated by fanning the air towards herself with her hands, "and this smell just hit me. It was wonderful…And it was Alex."

Caitlyn shook her head. "This doesn't make sense, Mitchie. I mean, you were with Shane…Sort of. You kissed him. You slept with him. You…You…You're having his baby! You were so heartbroken when he left. Now this one girl comes along and suddenly you're a lesbian?"

"She wasn't the only one, Cay!" Mitchie exclaimed, irritated near tears.

For once in her life, Caitlyn was at a loss for words.

"Geez, if I'd known you'd react this way, I wouldn't have told you anything at all," Mitchie said angrily. "What, because I'm interested in a girl now you're not going to treat me the same? Because you've always been understanding, except now!"

"Mitchie, I'm not trying to offend you or anything like that!" Caitlyn put her hands on Mitchie's shoulders. "I don't care if you're gay, bi, straight, questioning, whatever! I just didn't expect it because of the Shane thing! I didn't expect it at all! This is coming out of nowhere!"

"Yeah, because I've gotten used to hiding it over the years!"

"Over the years? What are you talking about?" Caitlyn removed her hands from Mitchie's shoulders and ran them part way through her curly hair and tugged at it. "Mitchie," she said more calmly, letting go of her hair, "when did this start? And go from the beginning, speaking slowly, _please_."

Mitchie took a deep breath, staring at the ceiling. "I was in second grade."

* * *

_Eight-year-old Mitchie Torres sat at her desk, staring at a blank sheet of pink construction paper angrily. She had been staring at it for nearly twenty minutes. It was supposed to be a Valentine's Day card for her mother, but so far it was just a regular, old, ugly piece of paper. _

_She couldn't get inspiration from anywhere. She wanted to write a poem or a song for her mom or something,−she always loved doing that−but she couldn't come up with an idea._

_She looked around the room, seeing all the other students working diligently on their cards. They were cutting, pasting, writing, and applying glitter. Mitchie wasn't a fan of glitter, but she would have done anything at that moment to be using the glitter, just so she could be doing something. She was wasting all her time._

_Frustrated, the young girl folded her arms on her desk, put her head in them, and started to cry._

"_I like your shoes," a soft voice to Mitchie's right said._

_Mitchie lifted her head to see the girl that sat beside her, Blair Walker, was smiling at her. _

"_Huh?" Mitchie asked, wiping her tears away with her shirt sleeve._

"_I said I like your shoes. They're cool," Blair said, smiling kindly. Mitchie liked the way her bright blue eyes seemed to shine when she smiled._

"_Thanks," Mitchie said timidly, looking down at her white and baby blue shoes that had heels that lit up when she walked. _

"_Why are you crying?" Blair asked, tilting her head to the side in a cute way._

"_Because I can't think of what to put on this card for my mom." Mitchie held up the pink construction paper sadly. "Right now it's just paper. It's supposed to be a pretty poem or song or something. But I can't think of anything!"_

"_I'm sure you'll think of something," Blair said, smiling at Mitchie again. "You're really good at that stuff. That poem you wrote about the cat was really neat!"_

"_You read that?" Mitchie asked, her cheeks turning pink. Sure, the entire class had written poems and taped them to the wall, but she didn't think anyone would read _hers_._

_Blair nodded. "Yeah. I liked it a whole lot. If you write like that on your mom's card, she's gonna love it!"_

_Without another word, Blair tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder and continued on her card. Mitchie stared at her for a few more seconds before a huge, goofy grin spread across her face. Suddenly, it hit her: the perfect words for the card._

_She picked up one of her crayons and set to work. _

_When the bell rang to go to recess, Mitchie raced to catch up with a certain blonde classmate of hers._

"_Blair! Wait up!" She ran across the playground after her, trying to catch her before one of her 'cool' friends could get to her._

"_Yeah?" Blair asked, turning to Mitchie._

"_I have something for you," Mitchie said, taking the card, which she had been holding behind her back, out from its hiding spot and holding it out to the other girl._

_The plain piece on construction paper was now folded in half, with Blair's name across the front in silver glitter, which Mitchie hated but knew Blair loved._

"_What's this?"Blair asked, taking the card from Mitchie._

"_I decided to make a card for you instead of my mom," she said. "Open it."_

_Blair shook her head. "Not here. Come on." _

_Without any warning, she grabbed Mitchie's hand and started pulling her back across the playground to the slide. Not just any slide, but the old slide, the one no one used. The school had put in a new jungle gym with a twisty slide, and ever since, the plain metal slide in the corner of the playground got ignored._

_Blair led them underneath the slide and took a seat, motioning for Mitchie to do the same, which she did. Mitchie usually felt the underneath of the slide was dark and spooky, but with Blair, she felt okay. She poked her head out to see that no one saw them. No one at all. Not even the teacher. This was like their secret hiding spot._

"_Now I can read it," Blair said, opening the card._

'_Roses are red._

_Violets are blue._

_But flowers are not_

_As pretty as you.'_

_Blair looked up at Mitchie, her eyes wide with shock. "This is for me?" she asked quietly._

_Mitchie nodded. "Do you like it?"_

"_I love it," Blair said breathlessly. "Thank you."_

"_You're welcome."_

_Then, without warning, Blair leaned over and kissed Mitchie on the cheek. It was so quick and sweet, innocent even, and it was gone almost as quickly as it had come. Mitchie placed her hand to her now-blushing cheek in surprise. Blair smiled at her softly and she returned it. Then Blair stopped smiling and narrowed her eyes at the other girl._

"_No one can know about that," Blair said. "Or this card." She held it up. "The other kids would think we're weird."_

"_I don't want that," Mitchie said quickly, even though she had no idea why anyone would think they were weird. She didn't see anything wrong with what they were doing._

"_Good. So you won't tell anyone about any of this?" _

"_No one!" Mitchie shook her head._

"_Okay." Blair nodded. "Because if you did, I couldn't be your friend anymore."_

"_We're friends?" Mitchie asked hopefully. She didn't have any friends. All of her second grade classmates thought she was too smart. For example, half of her class didn't know what a violet was, let alone could spell it. They couldn't even spell flower._

"_Yeah, Mitchie. We're friends."Blair smiled a little. "But I have to go play with my other friends now."_

"_Okay." Mitchie nodded sadly. She knew better than to ask if she could play too. Blair's friends didn't let anyone play with them unless they all agreed, and once again, most people thought Mitchie was weird._

"_See you later," Blair said, getting up to leave. She dusted the dirt off the back of her pink checkered dress and offered Mitchie a final smile._

"_Wait!" Mitchie grabbed the other girl's arm. When Blair looked down at her expectantly with those pretty blue eyes, Mitchie almost forgot what she had to say. But then she remembered. "Can we meet here again some time?"_

"_Sure. I'll pass you a note when I want to meet, but I really have to go now before recess is over." Blair cast a quick glance over her shoulder at the playground. "Bye."_

_Mitchie watched her go, her long blonde hair swinging behind her as she ran to her other friends, her other life. She remained under the slide for the rest of recess, watching Blair sit in a circle with the rest of the cool group and play 'duck, duck, goose,' wishing things could be different, that Blair could still be sitting under that slide with her.

* * *

_

"Every day I hoped for a note, and every day I got disappointed," Mitchie said, sighing. "She didn't talk to me again. Not until middle school."

"What did she say?" Caitlyn asked. Somewhere in the story she'd positioned herself so that she was lying on her stomach, her elbows bent and her hands propping up her head. She'd been so engrossed in the story that she barely realized she'd been watching Mitchie intently as she spoke.

"Mean things," Mitchie said, her jaw tightening in anger.

"What? Why?" Caitlyn lifted herself up with her hands.

"One day her boyfriend was at her house and they were going through art projects and stuff she did in grade school. They came across my card." Mitchie balled bits of her comforter in her fists. "The next day at school during lunch period, we were all outside. They approached me, Blair and John−the boyfriend−and all the rest of the popular group. John started waving the card around, yelling about how I'd given it to Blair and how I'd had some weird lesbian crush on her. Then some of the girls chimed in and said how they noticed that I stared at her and even some of them when we were changing in gym class, which was so untrue." She shook her head, clearing her mind of the images of their stupid, pre-pubescent faces. "Apparently, Blair had told them about me giving the card to her, but left out the part where she sat with me under the slide and kissed me on the cheek."

"What did you do?" Caitlyn asked.

"What could I do?" Mitchie shrugged. "I started crying, got up, and ran to the bathroom, where I hid for the rest of recess."

"Blair didn't try to defend you at all?"

Mitchie shook her head. "The entire time, she just stood there looking uncomfortable. The more people that gathered around−and there were plenty−the more uncomfortable she looked. She tried to pull John away, but he just wouldn't give up. Every time I tried to catch her eye, she looked away." She sighed. "As I was about to leave the bathroom, though, she came in."

"Did you punch her?"

"No."

"I would have punched her."

"Well I'm not you, Caitlyn."

"You should try being me some time. I'm pretty awesome."

"That's not the point at all."

"Well get to it."

"You won't let me."

"Fine, go ahead."

"Thank you." Mitchie rolled her eyes. "Anyway… We just stared at each other for a few minutes. Finally she apologized about the way John had acted. And then she thanked me for not saying anything about the slide thing, and that it was probably best since 'who would believe me anyway.'"

"What a bitch!" Caitlyn exclaimed.

"Yeah, she was." Mitchie nodded. "And from then on, I was picked on. That was eighth grade. When we got to high school, they kept it up for about a week, then just kind of forgot about it. But they still avoided me like the plague. Except for Sierra, who had just moved there from Idaho and was so socially awkward that no one liked her either. So she and I became friends, even though we had nothing in common, because having a friend that you didn't like was better than having no friends at all." She frowned. "It's not like I'd had friends before the card incident, but at least I wasn't bullied. Once that happened, though, they were relentlessly calling me names. And not once did Blair even attempt to stop it. What I still don't get is if she was so ashamed of the whole thing, why did she keep that card until middle school?"

"I'm sorry, but you had horrible taste in girls when you were eight!" Caitlyn said.

"I still do, too, apparently."

"What do you mean by that?" Caitlyn asked confusedly. "From what I can tell, Alex is pretty decent."

"I didn't mean her, Cay," Mitchie said. "I meant Tess."

"_Tess?" _Caitlyn shrieked. "Okay, explain that one, please! Now!"

"Tess is gorgeous. Whether you hate her or not, you can't deny that," Mitchie pointed out.

"No, I can't," Caitlyn said bitterly. Even though they had somewhat made peace with Tess at Final Jam, Caitlyn still disliked Tess after Tess had tried to stop Caitlyn from being herself their first year at Camp Rock. If there was one thing Caitlyn hated, it was being oppressed.

"Well, to say I was attracted to her would be an understatement," Mitchie said. "When we pulled up to Camp Rock, I looked out the window of my mom's catering van, and the first thing I saw was Tess getting out of her limo with her golden hair blowing in the breeze. The only thing I could think was 'wow.' And I actually said it aloud." Mitchie sighed and shook her head. "From then on, I was determined to be her friend. Even after she was rude to me when I bumped into her, literally seconds before I met you."

"I remember that," Caitlyn said, smiling a little at the memory.

"Do you also remember that Tess was determined to make Shane her boyfriend?"

"Yes." Caitlyn nodded. Suddenly it dawned on her. Her eyes opened wide in surprise. "Oh!"

"Yeah, oh." Mitchie nodded as well. "I was so jealous of him. I wanted Tess to pay attention to _me_. So when Shane showed an interest in me, I jumped at the chance to get close to him, because I knew I would be getting Tess' attention, even if it was negative. That night at the party, I saw Tess flirting with Shane. He'd been trying to get me to drink the punch, but I hadn't wanted to. When I saw that, though, something inside me snapped. I wanted _someone_'s acceptance. So I drank. It made Shane happy and kept him away from Tess."

"And now, here we are," Caitlyn said, motioning around her to mean the situation and physical place.

"And here we are."

"Well, now that you've explained it, it actually does make more sense," Caitlyn said. "This isn't anything new or out of the blue. You've always had feelings towards girls, just repressed them."

"Right," Mitchie said. "And now, I have feelings for Alex, but they are totally different."

"How so?"

"I don't know, Cay. It's hard to explain." Mitchie ran a hand down her face. "I just like the way she makes me feel, like everything's going to be okay as long as she's there with me. I'm drawn to her like a moth to a flame. She's got a smile that could stop my heart like I don't even know what. I get all jittery and excited when I know I'm going to be around her. And I'm not going out of my way to impress her, but I still manage to make myself look like a fool sometimes. But that's okay around her. Part of me thinks she likes it. We got in a fight when I was at her house, too. I tried to leave, but I couldn't get more than twenty feet from her house before I stopped and sat on a bench because I couldn't leave. I _knew_ she would come after me. I wanted her to. And she did. And we made up, and we said we loved each other−in a friendly way, though. And then she kissed my forehead. It was sweet."

"What did you get in a fight over?" Caitlyn asked.

"That's not important." Mitchie shifted her gaze, praying Caitlyn would drop it. She couldn't tell her that Alex was a wizard, after all.

"When she came out to you, did she say anything about having feelings for you?"

Mitchie breathed a sigh of relief when Caitlyn let her previous question go unanswered. "She said that I had nothing to worry about, that she wouldn't cross any line."

"And how did that make you feel?" Caitlyn asked.

Mitchie's face turned sad. "My heart hurt."

"You've got it bad for her, don't you?" She titled her head to the side slightly, examining her friend.

"Yes!" Mitchie lay back on her bed. "What am I going to do? These feelings aren't just going to go away, I know it. But I can't act on them. Maybe if the situation was different, but not like this."

"Why not?" Caitlyn asked, lying so that she was beside Mitchie, looking at her.

"I'm having a baby, Caitlyn," she said. "Getting involved with someone with a kid means taking on responsibility, whether you want it or not, especially if the child hasn't been born yet. It's like I would be asking Alex to be a parent, and I'm not going to do that. She's not mature enough to be the kind of girlfriend I would need her to be."

"I don't know," Caitlyn said. "So far I've heard good things about her. She could make it work."

"I doubt she would want to. She hates responsibility."

"Well do you even know if she actually likes you as more than a friend?"

"I have no clue," Mitchie admitted.

"Well there you go. You could be getting worked up over nothing," Caitlyn said. "But I don't think you're giving her enough credit."

"You don't even know her, Caitlyn!" Mitchie looked at her friend.

"Maybe not." She shrugged. "But I've got a good feeling about the whole thing. If she walked all the way over here just to tell you she's a lesbian because she thought you deserved to know, then she obviously cares about you. I think there could be a chance that she could be really good for you…And the baby."

"No, stop it!" Mitchie sat up as abruptly as she could. "Don't you put that idea in my head!"

Caitlyn sat up as well. "Why not? What if it could work? What if she's the love of your life, but you're letting her slip through your fingers because you don't realize the potential she has?"

"Stop it!"

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to get hurt again, okay?" Mitchie wiped at a tear that was threatening to fall. "Shane fucked me up! Even if I was using him to get to Tess, I still got emotionally attached to him. I trusted him as a friend not to hurt me or screw me over, and he did! And Tess just didn't give a shit about me at all. I'm not going to put my heart out there for more hurt!"

"Mitchie, I understand that you're scared to be abandoned again, but not everyone you care about is going to do that to you, like Blair, Tess, or Shane! I haven't!" Caitlyn tried to catch Mitchie's eye, to no avail. "I have a good feeling about this, Mitch. I really don't think Alex would see it as a bad thing. I think she might surprise you, and be just what you need."

"Well, I think you're wrong." Mitchie sniffed.

Caitlyn shook her head. "I'm never wrong."

* * *

**I really didn't like this chapter when I first wrote it, but after reading it over, I love it!**

**I has new twitter bff :) aussiegurl0009. We talk all the time, and she gets inside info about new chapters. Talk to me on twitter, and you could too! I'm really nice and I love talking, so hit me up! I'd love to be friends with all of you. (xxMusicxSpazzxx)**

**Please review. Give me some real feedback :)**


	18. I Think I'm Falling For Her

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place or Camp Rock or Hayley Williams.**

**PLEASE READ: There are a number of reasons this chapter took me a while:**

**1. My computer crashed. It has been a process to get everything sorted. I'm very lucky not to have lost anything, but it was still difficult reinstalling my programs and basically I just got very pissed off.**

**2. The weekend my computer crashed, I was going to start writing a novel I hope to get published. I haven't started yet because of the issue, but I plan to shortly. Please understand that it is my dream to be a published author. I am not abandoning this story, I am simply multiwriting. Like multitasking only with writing.**

**3. The thing with Demi has gotten me depressed and in a funk. Yes, I've heard what's going on. No, I don't want to talk about it. Let's just say that Demi means a lot to me, more than some of you could ever know and her hurting hurts me. I don't need to hear your thoughts on the subject. In fact, I'd rather not think about it. So if you review, please don't say anything about her being in rehab.**

**4. MOST IMPORTANTLY, school is crazy! I need to keep my grades up to keep my scholarship and I have so much to do. Sorry. School comes first.**

**That is all. Read on now.**

**

* * *

**

"And then Jeremy told me that he liked my skirt," Harper said giddily. She'd arrived that Monday afternoon as soon as school let out. It was now four in the afternoon, and she was _still_ recounting the story of her date with Jeremy from Spanish (or was it science?) for Alex.

"You told me that part already!" Alex groaned. She was currently lying on her back on her bed, her feet near her pillow and her head hanging off the edge, the tips of her hair brushing the floor.

"Oh." Harper's brows drew together. "Well did I tell you that he opened the door to the restaurant for me?"

"Three times!" Alex shot her friend a glare. She loved her, she really did, but sometimes Harper couldn't take the hint that she was getting annoying.

"He looked so cute, too! He was wearing this blue shirt that just made his eyes pop, and-"

"Harper!" Alex yelled, interrupting yet another detailed description of 'how cute' Jeremy looked the other night. "You've also told me this several times." She sat up, color rising in her cheeks. "And each time, I feel stupid because I don't get it. I don't see what you see, or understand what makes him so special. I know when a guy is cute, but I can't pinpoint a specific trait that makes him so. And sometimes, it's really upsetting because I have no clue what you're talking about and it makes me feel like a moron."

"I'm sorry, Alex," Harper said bashfully. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, you know. Your brain just isn't wired that way. You can't help it. You can tell me all the things you like about Hayley Williams if it'll make you feel better." She placed a comforting hand on Alex's shoulder.

Alex shrugged it off agitatedly. She really didn't feel like being patronized right now. "Can we just talk about something else, please?"

"Okay, Alex. What do _you_ want to talk about?"

"I came out to Mitchie," Alex said. This is what she had been wanting to talk about since she'd invited Harper over the night before. But as soon as she walked in the door, she wouldn't stop yapping about her date. Meanwhile, Alex had to hear the story multiple times while this weighed heavily on her mind.

"About time!" Harper smiled. "How'd she take it?"

"Really well." Alex sighed. "The wizard thing, though…Not so much."

"You told her you're a wizard?" Harper's eyes went scarily wide. "You've known her for a month!"

"I know, Harper…"

"We've been friends since kindergarten, and you just told me recently!" Harper stood, talking animatedly with her hands. Harper rarely got mad, but when she did, you could practically see the steam coming out of her ears. This was one of those times. "Are you replacing me with her or something?"

"Of course not, Harper!" Alex exclaimed.

"Do you trust her more because you're attracted to her?"

"No!" Alex shook her head. "I didn't want to tell her!"

"But you did!" Harper pointed her finger in Alex's face. "You're picking her over me. You're letting her come between us. I can feel it!"

"Harper, you're being ridiculous!" Alex yelled. "Just calm down! I didn't mean to tell her, okay? It was an accident!"

"How? How do you accidentally tell someone your deepest, darkest secret?"

"Well, I blurted out the gay thing to my parents without realizing I did it." She shook her head and waved off her comment with her hands. "But that's not what happened here. Just sit down−calmly−and I'll tell you."

Harper eyed her friend warily, not sure whether or not to believe Alex. In the end, she did sit back down, but not nearly as close to Alex as she had been before.

"Thank you." Alex let out the breath she'd been holding. "Okay, we were in here, sitting on this bed." She pointed to the mattress beneath her bottom. "I'd just told her I'm a lesbian, and she was cool with it. We were settling down like we were going to hang out, and then I tried to get comfortable by kicking my boots off. I forgot that I keep my wand there sometimes, though, since I hadn't had it for a while." She paused to make sure Harper was still listening. She was. And she didn't look mad anymore. That was good. "It fell out of my boot, she saw it, and picked it up. When I tried to take it, I wasn't in control of my emotions, so the contact made sparks fly from the tip."

"Oh God." Harper gasped. "What did she do?"

"Screamed," Alex said simply. "Then she freaked out and asked what the hell was going on. I tried to come up with a believable story, but how do you explain something like that without magic?"

"She took it badly, I'm guessing?" Harper cocked her head to the side.

"Oh yeah!" Alex nodded, her eyes wide to make her point. "Big time! She practically ran from here."

"I'm hoping you went after her."

"Of course I did." Alex smirked. "Would you expect anything less of me?"

"Well, it involved moving…" Harper trailed off.

"Harper, I'm not _that_ lazy!" Alex frowned at her friend.

"Whatever you say." She patted Alex's hand. "Did you guys make up?"

"Yes," Alex said, still pouting slightly about the 'lazy' comment. "Everything's great now."

"Did she confess her undying love for you?" Harper smiled slyly.

Alex groaned. "No, Harper." She stood from her bed, going over to sit behind her drum set that she had been neglecting for way too long. She took the sticks in her hand, loving how smooth they felt against her palm.

"Did you confess your undying love for _her_?" Harper stood also and went to stand beside the drum kit, hoping Alex wouldn't start playing. It was terribly hard to have a conversation when Alex was banging away at those things.

"Harper, I don't love her!" Alex snapped. She was getting tired of this. "She's just my friend."

"That you're attracted to!" Harper crossed her arms over her chest and smiled at Alex knowingly.

"Yeah, so what if I am?" Alex twirled one of the sticks in her fingers, trying to pretend this conversation was no big deal, that it was boring her, when really, she was on edge. "I'm attracted to a lot of girls. Doesn't mean I love all of them." She lifted her drumsticks, ready to strike.

Harper caught her hands before she could start playing. "Alex, this is _me_ you're talking to, here," Harper said gently, her eyes soft and kind. "You may be lying to yourself, but you can't lie to me."

"I'm not lying," Alex said in a bored tone, looking up at Harper. "So when I went sleep at her house, she slept in my arms. Yeah, we cuddled all night long. Big deal. Okay, maybe sometimes she makes me catch a breath or stop breathing completely when I look at her. And possibly, when we embraced on that bench the other day, I didn't want to let go. And so what if I kissed her forehead? It's not like my lips burned for hours after."

Harper gave her a sad look. "Alex…"

"Okay, so maybe they did!" Alex yanked her hands from Harper's grasp and stood up from her drum stool. She threw her sticks against the wall, making a racket. She went and stood in the center of the room, her back towards Harper and her shoulders sagging. Silent tears started to slide down her face.

"Alex…" Harper said again, approaching her friend slowly.

"You're right, Harper," Alex said. She tried to swallow the sob she could feel fighting its way up. "I _am_ falling in love with Mitchie."

Her sentence hung in the air for a few seconds, the silence deafening. All Alex could do was let the tears fall. She hated herself for that. She hated letting people see her cry.

Out of the corner of her eye, she sensed movement. She glanced over to the door and noticed that it had been left slightly ajar. She wiped her face hastily and sighed in frustration. Harper must have forgotten to close it when she came in. Alex rushed over and opened it a little more, sticking her head out. The hallway was empty. She figured it must have just been Max or Justin going downstairs, or maybe even just her imagination. She just hoped if it was Justin that he hadn't heard what she'd said about Mitchie. The last thing she needed right now was him freaking out and trying to separate them.

She shut the door and turned back to Harper. They stared at each other. Alex could see herself reflected in Harper's eyes, the sadness obvious.

Harper crossed the short distance between them and gathered Alex into a hug.

"This is killing you, isn't it?" Harper asked, stroking Alex's hair gently.

"Yes," Alex said, giving Harper a good squeeze before pulling away. She took a step back to give them both some personal space, letting out another sigh. "What am I supposed to do? I'm trying my best not to fall for her, but I just can't help it. Everything she does is super fucking cute."

"Maybe you're _supposed_ to fall for her, Alex."

"And why would that be?" Alex wiped her still-damp face with her shirtsleeve.

"Because maybe you're destined to be together." Harper gave her a small smile.

"Don't start that again!" Alex rolled her eyes. "I told you, she doesn't like girls! If she did, I'm fairly certain she would have told me when I came out to her."

"But what if she likes you, but is just too afraid to tell you?" Harper persisted. "Did you give her any reason to believe you didn't have feelings for her?"

Alex shrugged. "I told her I wasn't going to make a move on her."

"Well there ya go!" Harper threw her hands in the air. "For all you know, she could have had feelings for you too, but been too afraid to tell you because she thought you didn't like her."

"Harper, no." Alex shook her head. "You're doing that thing where you talk crazy again."

"I'm not crazy!"

"Tell that to the three guys who have had a restraining order put on you and my brother, who wishes he could!" Alex smirked, despite her aching heart.

"Shut up," Harper said, narrowing her eyes to glare at her friend.

Alex continued smirking for a few more seconds until she realized there was still a pain in her chest.

"Do you know how much it hurts to want someone so much, but know you could never have them, that you're not what's right for them?" she asked. "And I'm not talking about your crush on Justin. I mean, have you ever felt like you met your soul mate, but someone stepped in first and screwed it all up for you?"

"No," Harper said honestly, shaking her head.

"Good." Alex sighed. "I hope you never have to. Because it hurts so fucking much."

* * *

Mitchie stood looking at herself in the mirror, admiring her new outfit. The day before, her mother had had off from work, so they went shopping for clothes that Mitchie could wear for the rest of her pregnancy. At fifteen weeks, she didn't need too drastic of a change in attire, just pants that fit and shirts that weren't too snug.

She was currently wearing jeans made just for a woman's second trimester of pregnancy−which she was in−and a powder blue blouse that hung somewhat loosely over her stomach. Her mother had also been kind enough to bring her to get her hair cut, and she was loving it. She'd decided to keep her bangs, after all, getting a style that would look great once they grew out a little more. But for now, she still found her hair looked great. It was curled in brown ringlets, hanging freely over her shoulders.

She guessed this is what they called the 'pregnancy glow.' She wasn't sure if she was really experiencing the glow she'd heard people talk about, but she felt like she was glowing. She was just plain happy. Her mother had made her a doctor's appointment for two weeks from then and gotten her special vitamins to take until the baby came.

She once again looked through her closet at all of her new clothes; ones that no longer fit were put in storage bins that were now hidden beneath Mitchie's bed. She couldn't wait until she could start buying clothes for the baby. When she'd been in the mall with her mom, they'd gone to a store that specialized in baby clothes, just to look. All of the clothes were so cute; she wanted to buy the entire store. But the problem with that is they didn't know the sex of the baby yet. And she still couldn't decide whether or not she _wanted_ to know.

She went over to her calendar and flipped to April, where she thought she was supposed to deliver. She furrowed her brow. Was she really only fifteen weeks along, or was she sixteen weeks along? She really had no clue. This is why she so desperately needed to go to the doctor.

She set the calendar back to the current month: November. It was only three days before Thanksgiving, it being Monday and Thanksgiving being on a Thursday. She'd already invited Caitlyn over to eat with them, but she was flying back to California Wednesday morning to be with her mom. And since her grandparents thought it would be too much of a hassle for them to fly up from Texas, just to have to sleep in a hotel because the apartment was too small, it was just going to be her and her parents.

She felt a little panicky when she realized tomorrow was the last day Justin and Alex would be coming over that week, giving them three days off plus the weekend as a Thanksgiving holiday. Technically home schools weren't supposed to do that, but since they were so ahead, Justin said it would be okay.

But she wasn't panicky because she wasn't going to have school for five days. She was panicky because she'd have to spend those five days without Alex. Sure, they could still text, but it wasn't the same as seeing her beautiful face every day.

As much as Mitchie knew she shouldn't, she couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like to be in a relationship with Alex. She was sure, if circumstances were different, Alex would be a wonderful girlfriend to her. But could Alex take on the responsibility of being a mother/father−or whatever she would be to the baby− if things got serious? Part of her wanted to believe that Alex would be a terrific parent, but with the whole wizard thing, would that be a safe environment to put her child in? It wasn't even that safe for her. It was all too confusing.

Mitchie couldn't deny that she felt the strong urge to see Alex right at that moment, though. Sure, she'd only seen her a few hours ago, but she missed her already. And when she tried to text her, she got very short answers, as if Alex had something on her mind.

Looking around, she realized that she really had nothing to do. All of her schoolwork was done. She'd even read ahead to the next chapter in her science book out of pure boredom.

What she really wanted to do was go see Alex, to spend as much time with her as she could before she wouldn't see her for almost a week. But Alex wasn't exactly in the talking mood. Would she appreciate a surprise visit, like the one she'd paid to Mitchie?

Deciding not to think on it anymore and just follow what her heart was telling her, she grabbed her apartment key and her phone. She left a note for her parents in case she wasn't back before they got home from work and set out for Alex's without a second thought.

Fifteen minutes later, she was standing in front of the Waverly Sub Station. She was quite proud of herself for taking the subway all by herself. So maybe she'd gotten off one stop too early and had to walk the rest of the way, but it was progress!

When she entered the restaurant, she partially hoped Alex would just be standing in the doorway like she had been last time so it would be easier to find her. No such luck. She did see Alex's mother, though, standing behind the cash register. She put on her best smile, one reserved for adults, and went over.

"Hi, Mrs. Russo," she said pleasantly. "Do you remember me?"

Theresa's face lit up when she saw her daughter's new friend (who was replacing Harper at the moment as the Russo parents' favorite). "Of course I do," she said. "Hi, Mitchie. How are you?"

"I'm good, thanks. And yourself?"

"Wonderful," Theresa said. "Does Alex know you're here?" She jutted her thumb to the staircase, signaling that Alex was upstairs.

"No, actually," Mitchie said, blushing a little. "I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I'd stop by." Not exactly true, but she didn't need to know that.

"I'm sure she'll be happy to see you," Theresa said, nodding towards the staircase. "If she's not in the living room, she'll be in her bedroom."

"Thank you," Mitchie said, offering a final smile before going over to the metal spiral staircase. She started climbing them slowly, wondering how much longer it would be safe for her to climb stairs at all. She'd started using the service elevator near the back of her building, even though it was so inconvenient, just to be sure, but she really needed to ask the doctor about that when she went in for her appointment.

When she reached the living room with its bright orange furniture, she found that it was completely empty.

She sighed heavily through her nose. _More stairs._ When she finally reached the hallway, she was out of breath. Okay, from now on, she was always inviting Alex over to her house. Or at least arranging a public meeting place. This was ridiculous. How did Alex, the laziest person she'd ever met, do this every single day?

That was actually going to be the first thing she said when she entered Alex's room, but something she heard made her stop. It was a voice that didn't belong to Alex, and was unfamiliar to her. She stopped to listen. The next voice she heard was Alex's, but what had she said?

"_Did she confess her undying love for you?"_ The unfamiliar voice said. Jealousy boiled inside Mitchie. Who could they be talking about? Did Alex have a crush on some other girl? She knew she had no claim on Alex, but she didn't want her with anyone else, either.

There came a groan. This was Alex. _"No, Harper."_

Oh, so it was Harper she was talking to. Mitchie knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but she just couldn't help herself. She just had to know who they were talking about.

"_Did you confess your undying love for _her?_" _The voice Mitchie now knew as Harper's asked.

Mitchie was standing where she could just barely see into Alex's room since the door was ajar. But all she saw was Alex's weird, pink, fuzzy wall.

"_Harper, I don't love her! She's just my friend_," Alex's voice said, a little harshly.

"_That you're attracted to!"_ Harper.

"_Yeah, so what if I am? I'm attracted to a lot of girls. Doesn't mean I love all of them." _Alex. This made Mitchie's stomach turn unpleasantly. Lots of girls?

She could then hear Harper saying something gently to Alex, but what it was, she wasn't sure. Harper was speaking too softly.

Alex's voice hit her next, but once again, she was speaking too softly for Mitchie to hear. So, she took a step closer, standing right in the crack of the door. A slender strip of light coming from Alex's room illuminated part of her face.

"_Okay, maybe sometimes she makes me catch a breath or stop breathing completely when I look at her. And possibly, when we embraced on that bench the other day, I didn't want to let go. And so what if I kissed her forehead? It's not like my lips burned for hours after."_

Mitchie's heart fluttered. It sounded like Alex was talking about…_Her_.

"_Alex…"_ Came Harper's voice, with a sad tone.

"_Okay, so maybe they did!"_ Alex yelled, which was followed by two loud _clank_ sounds. Mitchie hadn't expected them, so she jumped slightly.

Suddenly, Alex appeared in Mitchie's line of vision. She looked so sad that it broke Mitchie's heart. From where she was standing, she could see tears making damp streaks on Alex's cheeks.

"_Alex…"_ Harper's voice said, still where Mitchie could not see, though she sounded closer.

"You're right, Harper," Alex said, sounding like she was struggling to speak. "I _am_ falling in love with Mitchie."

At this, Mitchie's heart went into overdrive. It's like the world was moving in slow motion. Alex's words rang in her ears as she turned away and walked back down the hall. She descended the obnoxious amount of stairs and rushed out of the sub shop, thankful that neither of Alex's parents tried to stop her.

She went straight home, in a daze. This time, she walked. She didn't even realize she was home until she was unlocking the door. Any normal day, she would have stopped to ponder how she knew how to get there, having only walked back once, but she didn't have time to dwell on it.

She went to her room, closing the door behind her. She sat on her bed, slipping her phone out of her pocket. She dialed Caitlyn's number and pressed the phone to her ear.

It went straight to voicemail. Of course. Caitlyn had dance practice.

"Hey, it's me. Come straight here after practice. It's urgent. Bye."

She hung up and tossed the phone on the bed beside her. She began replaying the conversation between Harper and Alex in her head over and over again. The entire time, she fixed her eyes on the wall and just _starred_.

* * *

A knock at the door pulled Mitchie from her trance. She looked at the clock. It was half past five. She'd been sitting there for over an hour without moving, hardly blinking.

She groaned when she stood up, her muscles a bit stiff. When she entered the living room, the pounding started.

"Mitchie, open the door!" Caitlyn's voice called from behind the wood.

Mitchie swung the door open to reveal her flustered, sweaty friend.

"What is it?" Caitlyn asked, out of breath.

Mitchie shook her head and grabbed Caitlyn by the wrist, pulling her into the apartment. As she was pulled, Caitlyn shut the door with her foot, then was dragged to Mitchie's room. Mitchie slammed the door shut as soon as they'd entered.

"Okay, now what is it?" Caitlyn asked, dropping her gym bag on the floor. She was wearing a sweat shirt that had had its sleeves cut into short sleeves that hung off her shoulder a bit, revealing her black undershirt. She also had on black leggings with bright yellow shorts and black sneakers. Her hair was in a ponytail, a few loose strands sticking to her forehead, which was still slick with sweat. Her makeup was even smudged a little. She really had gone _straight_ there as soon as practice was out.

"Alex is in love with me," Mitchie said with no emotion, her face showing indifference.

"Oh boy," Caitlyn said, sitting on Mitchie's bed. "How'd you find this one out?"

"I overheard her talking to Harper today when I went over to her house," Mitchie said, sitting beside Caitlyn.

"What are you going to do now?" Caitlyn asked, reaching out and tucking a strand of Mitchie's hair behind her ear. "I like your hair," she commented.

"Thanks." Mitchie sighed. "I don't know, Cay. I was hoping you could tell me."

"You know I can't do that, Mitch." She smiled sympathetically. "Only you can make that decision."

"But how?"

"Ya know, smart listens to the head. Stupid listens to the heart." Caitlyn shrugged. "Sometimes you have to be stupid."

"But with the exception of last summer, I've never been stupid," Mitchie said. "I don't know how to do that."

"What do you feel for her?" Caitlyn asked. "I know you said you like her, but what do you _really_ feel for her?"

Mitchie thought about it for a few seconds before answering. "I think I might be falling for her, too…"

"Well then maybe you should be telling _her_ that, and not me."

"And then what?" Mitchie asked. "We stay together until the baby comes, then she decides she doesn't want that responsibility and dumps me?"

"How do you know that's going to happen?" Caitlyn turned Mitchie's face, holding Mitchie's chin between her thumb and forefinger so that she had to look her in the eye. "You don't know that. She could be the best damn parent in the world for all you know."

"She's dangerous, Caitlyn." Mitchie moved her head so that Caitlyn didn't have a hold on her anymore. "She's irresponsible, destructive, immature, lazy, complicated, hard headed, sexy as all hell, scary, sweet, kind, loving… She's just too confusing and unpredictable. I should be with someone more stable. More safe. Someone I know for a fact won't hurt me. Someone…Someone…Someone like you."

She lifted her face and just then noticed how close she'd gotten to Caitlyn. She stared into those confused brown eyes, her brain screaming at her to not do this. But did she listen? No. She brought her hands up and cupped Caitlyn's face gently.

"Mitchie, what are you doing?" Caitlyn asked quietly, though she did not move away.

"I just want to see something. Please?" She continued looking into Caitlyn's eyes, which were wide with wonder.

Even though Caitlyn knew this was a terrible idea, she also knew Mitchie needed to do this. So, she gave a slight nod of approval.

Mitchie closed the small gap between them and placed her lips on Caitlyn's. It was a soft, sweet kiss, which Caitlyn returned. It was honestly the best kiss of Mitchie's life. The only other person she'd ever kissed was Shane, and his lips didn't mix well with hers at all. They were too rough and dry. Too masculine. But Caitlyn's, Caitlyn's were smooth and gentle. Caitlyn's lips really did feel fantastic against her own. But at the same time, they also felt _wrong._

Mitchie pulled away and released Caitlyn's face.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, blushing deeply and scooting to the left to give Caitlyn more space.

"It's okay," Caitlyn said. She really wasn't offended. "If I'd be interested in girls, I'd want to kiss me too." She smirked, making Mitchie blush deeper. "Seriously, though, if I was interested in girls, I would have made you mine a long time ago."

"I know that, actually." Mitchie smiled a little. "And I also know that you like guys. I just had to know what it was like to kiss a girl."

"And how did it feel?" Caitlyn asked. "Did it confirm anything? Because for me, it was nice, but it's confirmed that I really do, without a doubt, like guys. No offense."

"None taken." Mitchie shook her head. "It was a great kiss…"

"Very good." Caitlyn nodded. "You're a really good kisser, Mitch."

"You act like you're surprised." Mitchie raised an eyebrow at her friend.

Caitlyn cleared her throat. "Hey, stay on topic." She hit Mitchie's shoulder playfully. "Did you figure out what you needed to by doing that?"

"It was very nice," Mitchie said, crossing her arms over her chest while nodding and staring at the ground. "But it wasn't right…" She absentmindedly bit her lip.

"And why is that?" Caitlyn leaned forward, anxious to hear the answer.

Mitchie starred at the ground for a few more minutes before releasing her lip from her teeth and looking at Caitlyn.

Then she said, plain and simple, "You're not Alex."

* * *

**Yes, I used one of Demi's old twitter quotes as Caitlyn's line. Some of you are going to love this chapter, and others are going to hate it. Hey, that's life.**

**Twitter: xxMusicxSpazzxx. Just so you know, I'm not getting as involved on twitter. I'm still gonna be on and stuff, but I'm trying to keep from getting too involved. I think certain lines need to be drawn. I want to be more professional about it, even if my tweets are utterly silly at times. I just want to keep my personal life…Well, personal. **


	19. Happy Thanksgiving

**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place. I also do not own the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.**

**Sorry for the slightly longer than usual wait. I had so much school work. It was insane.**

**Also, sorry for any mistakes. I am terribly sick right now. I can't stop coughing and I can barely talk. It's two a.m. where I am, and I've looked it over, but I doubt I caught everything. Please excuse mistakes. I'm not perfect.

* * *

**

"So…What are your plans for Thanksgiving?" Alex asked to break the uncomfortable silence she and Mitchie had been sitting in for nearly an hour. Ever since she and Justin had arrived that Tuesday morning, Mitchie avoided eye contact with her as if her life depended on it. Justin had left as soon as the lessons were over, and she had stayed behind to do homework with Mitchie.

Why had she stayed if Mitchie was being so standoffish (Alex was having flashbacks to the first day they met)? Well, because Mitchie had asked her to. But that was the last thing she'd said to Alex after they cracked open their textbooks. They worked in silence, each working on the same thing but not talking about it. Alex kept glancing over to Mitchie's work to see if she was doing hers right. She was getting most of it, thankfully.

"We're having Thanksgiving supper at nine," Mitchie said, not looking up from her paper, still writing out her math problem. She wanted to kick herself for it, too. She'd wanted to spend more time with Alex, so she'd asked her to stay, yet she was acting like this?

She just couldn't get over the awkwardness she now felt around the other girl. Knowing secrets is a powerful and overwhelming thing. Whenever she glanced at Alex, a little voice inside her head kept screaming _She loves me!_ And then she would get all nervous again, her stomach doing flips while her face burned bright red.

"Nine?" Alex exclaimed, raising her eyebrows. Mitchie only nodded. Alex gaped at her. "Why so late?"

"Mom has to work all day, so she won't be in until seven. She just found out last night," Mitchie said, putting her pencil down and daring to look Alex in the face for the first time that day. Their eyes making contact sent a jolt of electricity through her. She'd missed those eyes. "I say nine, but we're lucky if it's that early."

"Your mom couldn't take off?" Alex questioned. "It is Thanksgiving, after all."

"That's why they need her. It's a really popular restaurant, and expensive too. Most people that can afford to eat there don't cook, so they celebrate by going out to eat. The majority of them book a table again for next year as they're walking out the door." She shrugged. "If she asked for the day off, it would look really bad since she just started. She could lose her job. Lots of chefs are dying for her position, so it's not like she'd be hard to replace."

"So you and your dad are just going to lounge around and wait for her all day?"

"Pretty much." Mitchie nodded. "We might watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade."

"The real thing?"

"No, the fake thing," Mitchie joked with a slight smirk. Things almost feel normal again, almost like she didn't know.

Alex's face went pink. "I meant if you were going to watch it on TV or in person."

"I know what you meant." Mitchie patted the other girl's arm, glad Alex had on a long sleeved shirt so their skin didn't come in contact. She didn't need goose bumps right now. "Probably on TV."

"Oh that's not nearly as cool!" Alex exclaimed, wishing Mitchie had kept her hand on her arm a little longer. "You have to see it in person!"

"Maybe some day I will, but for now, the small screen is good for me." Mitchie smiled averted her gaze to the tabletop.

Alex tore her eyes from Mitchie and stared at the wall, looking deep in thought. Mitchie looked back at her friend and could practically see the wheels spinning in her head. When deep in thought, Alex's tongue poked out the edge of her lips and her eyes clouded over. Mitchie couldn't help thinking how cute she was when she did this. She wanted nothing more than to just lean over and press her lips delicately to Alex's cheek, longed to do so actually. She longed so much it hurt. Now that she knew what Alex was feeling, she wasn't so torn apart about her own feelings.

"Come to my house for Thanksgiving," Alex said suddenly, drawing Mitchie out of her trance in which she'd been staring at Alex dreamily.

"Hmm?" Mitchie asked, blinking her eyes to focus them again.

"Come to my house for Thanksgiving," Alex repeated. "You and your dad. Just so you're not stuck in here all day. My family won't mind. We usually have Harper and her parents over, but this year they decided to visit Harper's grandmother, so it would actually be one less person that usual. And since we have our Thanksgiving meal at lunch, you and your dad could still eat with your mom for supper."

"I don't know, Alex…" Mitchie picked up her pencil again and intended to start on her homework once more.

Alex reached over and took the pencil from her hands. "Come on, please?" She gave Mitchie her best pout. "How can you go without seeing my face for five whole days?"

Alex mentally added, _Because I know I won't get through five whole days without seeing yours._

Mitchie bit her lip and cursed Alex for being so cute. She was right. She couldn't bear the thought of not seeing her adorable face for nearly a week.

"I'll talk to my dad," Mitchie said finally.

"Yes!" Alex smiled brightly.

Mitchie smirked and shook her head. "May I have my pencil back now so I can continue my work? I don't want to have to do it over the break."

"Party pooper." Alex pouted but handed back Mitchie's writing utensil.

* * *

Another hour passed with the two girls working in silence. Neither could really concentrate, though.

Alex's thoughts weren't on her work because she was so excited that Mitchie might be coming to her house for Thanksgiving. She was doing her best not to fidget in her seat, showing her excitement. She was just so relieved that she had an excuse to see Mitchie over the break. Pretty much all the other days she'd be working in the sub shop. Her father wasn't making her work as much for punishment anymore, but she'd asked for more hours anyway. The reason? Christmas was coming up, and she wanted to get something really nice for Mitchie. But the question was− what?

Mitchie, on the other hand, had way too many things to think of at the moment. For one thing, she was still trying to process what she'd heard Alex say about being in love with her just the day before. Part of her was thrilled and wanted nothing more than to tell Alex that she knew, but that would mean she'd have to admit she'd been eavesdropping. Another part of her wanted Alex to make the first move, to cross that line even though she said she never would. And yet another part of her was completely terrified. What to do about this? At least before she knew, she could convince herself that nothing would ever happen and just move on. But to know something _could_ happen was just so confusing. Was Alex what she really wanted? She was fairly certain, especially after that kiss with Caitlyn (Which she was still kicking herself for. That was terribly stupid!). But was Alex what she needed? Caitlyn argued yes, that it was a good possibility.

Should she risk trying to start dating Alex? What about the baby? What if she and Alex started dating, she had the baby, Alex was a huge part of its life, and then they broke up? He or she would be used to having Alex around, and then she would just disappear. She didn't want that for a child, especially since she didn't even know if the father was going to be part of its life yet.

But she was lonely. And she couldn't deny the fact that she wanted Alex. Wanted her badly, in fact, that it almost hurt, caused her actual, physical pain. She glanced up from her science book to see Alex staring off into space. She looked quite happy about something as she chewed on her eraser. Mitchie could only hope that Alex's head was swimming with thoughts of her. The idea made her heart flutter and her cheeks go red.

Yes, she wanted Alex. She was sure. But how to go about telling her? This was a crazy situation, after all. It was a risk, and it required a long, drawn out discussion where all possibilities were weighed and a mature decision was reached.

Mitchie just wanted to be happy. After the summer she'd had, she thought she deserved it. And she was fairly certain that nothing could make her happier than Alex. So, summoning her courage and ready to take that leap of faith, she set her pencil down on the table and folded her arms on top of her open science book.

As soon as she opened her mouth to speak, however, Alex stood up abruptly.

"Oh shit!" she said. "I'm late!" She started snatching all of her belongings off the table and shoving them into her bag.

"For what?" Mitchie asked dejectedly.

"Work," Alex said, sliding a folder into her bag. "I was supposed to be there nearly twenty minutes ago." She nodded her head towards the clock hanging on the wall in the living room while zipping her bag.

"You've never had to work this early before," Mitchie complained as Alex slung her backpack over her shoulder.

"I know, but I've been taking on extra hours so I can save up some money." Alex shrugged. "Just have some things I want to buy." She didn't mention that the things were for Mitchie.

"Alright." Mitchie pouted.

"Hey, don't look so sad." Alex smiled a little. "You're inflating my ego, ya know."

She went to pat Mitchie on the head, but Mitchie swatted her hand away playfully.

"Oh just go, you." She smirked at Alex.

"Fine." Alex grinned cheekily and pulled her wand from where she'd had it tucked in its special holder in the back of her pants. "Want to see me disappear?" she asked, twirling the slender stick in her fingers.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Mitchie muttered.

"Huh?" Alex asked, having not heard Mitchie.

"Nothing," she said quickly, shaking her head. "So, you're gonna disappear, eh? I don't know if that's a good idea. Last time I saw magic, I freaked out. I'm not sure about this."

"Come on. It'll be cool. Harper loves it." Alex went over to the center of the kitchen. "Just don't blink, okay? And don't forget to ask your dad about Thanksgiving!"

"I won't."

"Won't blink or won't forget?" Alex held her wand up, ready to cast the spell.

"Either," Mitchie said, turning her body towards Alex in her chair. "Now just get out of here before you get in trouble for being too late."

"Yes ma'am!"

Alex grinned. Then she started twirling her wand in a circle around her head. Mitchie watched, seeing no difference. Then, Alex began to fade. By the time Mitchie's jaw dropped, Alex was already gone. She stared, bewildered, at the spot she'd last seen her friend that was now empty. If she hadn't believed the wizard thing before (which she had), she definitely did now!

"You certainly are something special, Alex Russo," she said to herself once she got over the shock of seeing magic performed before her very eyes.

* * *

"Mitch, I'm home!" Steve Torres called as he opened the door that evening.

Mitchie exited her bedroom immediately after hearing her father. "Hi, Daddy," she said, smiling brightly. "Had a good day?"

"Yes. Long and tiring, but good." He wrapped his arm around his daughter's shoulder. "And what did you do all day?"

"Oh you know…The usual." She smiled and leaned into her dad's affectionate embrace. "School, homework, songwriting."

"Oh, you've been writing again?" Steve asked, taking a step back to smile at Mitchie. "I thought you'd stopped."

"No, I haven't." Mitchie smirked. "I just write when no one's home so you don't hear me singing as I go."

"Well, I'd like to hear your new stuff some time." He went over to the fridge and pulled out the pitcher of lemonade, fixing himself a glass. "Mom isn't back yet?"

"Not yet." Mitchie shook her head. "Hey, I wanted to talk to you about Thanksgiving."

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that, too," Steve said, looking uncomfortable.

"What?" Mitchie asked, slightly worried. Her father only ever looked uncomfortable when he was delivering bad news.

"A guy from work invited me over to watch the football game," he said. "I know we said we'd spend the day together, but this would be a great opportunity to meet some of the people I work with."

"That sounds great," Mitchie said, smiling a little. She was happy her father was going to get out and watch the game. He'd been complaining that he missed his friends back in Texas that he'd had since elementary school. "You should go."

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, totally." Mitchie smiled again. "It's a good opportunity for you. Besides, Alex invited me over for lunch anyway. Well…She actually invited both of us, but since you already have plans, I'll just go by myself."

"Are you sure her parents don't mind?" he asked before taking a sip from his lemonade.

"She said they didn't."

"Alright then. Have fun." Steve smiled.

Mitchie returned it. "You too."

* * *

Alex sat down at the counter of the sub shop, letting her head drop on its top. She was exhausted, as she always was after a dinner rush. She'd been running back and forth so much that her feet felt like they were going to fall off. She hated Max at the moment because he was spending the night at a friend's, and Justin was off monster hunting again, so she hated him too, just because it meant she'd been left to fend for herself while her mother ran register and her father made sandwiches. She was just thankful that guy Gabe hadn't come in tonight. She didn't think she could have handled all of her customers _and_ him, who would probably try to strike up a conversation with her again.

She'd been so busy that she hadn't been able to check the text she'd gotten while she was writing down table five's order. But now that she's stopped and remembered that she needed to check it, she pulled her phone from her pocket and flipped it open.

A huge smile spread across her face when she saw it was a text from Mitchie.

_Talked to my dad. He has other plans, but I will definitely be there Thursday._

Her heart fluttered at the thought. It was over twenty-four hours away, but it was way better than five days.

_Can't wait. Be here for nine, and dress warmly!_ She responded quickly.

She put her phone back in her pocket and walked around to the kitchen. Her father was in there, writing the amounts of items on his notepad, the one he used to take inventory.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yes, Alex?" He stopped counting the tomatoes and looked up at his daughter.

"Would it be okay if Mitchie joined us for Thanksgiving lunch?" She asked, batting her eyelashes at him. "You know we usually have Harper's family, but they won't be here this year, so we have room. And Mitchie's mom is working, and her dad has other plans. I don't want her to be alone on a holiday that celebrates being together." She was really laying it on thick for this one. But hey, she wanted him to say yes. She figured he would, since he loved Mitchie, she just wanted to make sure.

"Of course, Alex!" Jerry said, his heart reaching out for Mitchie. He usually hated sharing food if he didn't have to, but this was a special circumstance.

"Thank you!" She smiled, walked over, and wrapped her arms around her father's waist. "You're the best."

Jerry chuckled and patted his daughter's back. "What else do you want?"

Dang it. He knew her too well.

"I'm exhausted and I still have some school work I want to finish up." She pulled back so she was looking up at her father. "Could I go up and work on it instead of finishing my shift?"

"I guess so," Jerry said.

"Thanks, Dad!" Alex ran to the door of the kitchen, then turned back to face her dad. "Mitchie will be here about nine on Thursday."

Jerry was going to ask his daughter why she'd invited her friend so early if they were having lunch, but she'd run upstairs before he'd gotten the chance.

* * *

Thursday did not come quickly enough for either Alex or Mitchie. Bright and early, Mitchie made her way over to Alex's. She'd once again taken the subway, even though she was very uncomfortable with all the people on the subway that were in town for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. She was packed in between so many people, sweating under her huge coat because Alex had told her to "dress warmly." She still had no idea why since they were going to be inside, but whatever. The jacket, gloves, and hat came in handy out on the streets, where New York City's cold November weather could take a toll on you if you stayed out too long.

When she finally knocked on the Russo's door (Alex had told her where to enter from the street instead of the restaurant) she never wanted to go back onto the subway again. She'd nearly been trampled when she had to get off.

The door swung open the reveal Justin, his hair slicked up as usual. He was wearing a white button down shirt and a black tie.

"Mitchie?" He asked, surprised to see her. "Alex told us you were coming, but I didn't know it was this early." He checked his watch to see that it was a quarter after nine.

"She's late, too!" Alex called as she bounded down the stairs. She'd heard the knock on the door and rushed from her room. She had on a tan coat and gloves that matched her scarf (which was hanging, undone, over her shoulders) and the knit hat she had on her head. "I told you _nine._" She flashed Mitchie a sarcastic smile as Justin let her in.

"Sorry!" Mitchie said. "You try navigating the subway when it's this packed! I feel like every tourist in New York was on that thing with me."

"You should have walked." Alex chuckled, taking what Mitchie was holding from her hands. It was a tin pie tray with aluminum foil over the top. "What's this?" she asked, holding it up.

"Pumpkin pie, my mom's specialty. She made it last night for me to bring over." Mitchie looked past Alex and Justin and into the kitchen, where Alex's parents seemed to be working on preparing lunch. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Russo."

"Hi, Mitchie." Theresa smiled and waved. "Jerry, _this_ is Mitchie," she said, nudging her husband in the ribs.

He looked up from the raw turkey he was preparing. "Oh," he said, rising his eyebrows. He removed his hands from inside the dead bird and walked over, wiping them on his apron. "Jerry Russo, pleased to meet you." He held out his hand for Mitchie to shake.

Mitchie looked from his germ-filled hand to Alex.

"You don't have to shake his hand," she told Mitchie, who breathed a sigh of relief. "Dad, your hands are gross. In the future, please wash them after you've taken them from the butt of a dead bird."

Jerry dropped his hand, greatly embarrassed. "I'm just going to go work on the turkey again. And maybe I won't let you have any, Alex," he threatened over his shoulder as he went back into the kitchen area.

"Yeah, we'll see." She smirked. "Well, you've met the whole family except Max now. And that's him, right there." She pointed to the young boy who was sitting on the couch, his eyes fixed on the TV set. He was wearing a fairly nice sweater that already had a big, orange-ish spot on the front from where he'd missed his mouth while trying to eat spray cheese straight from the can.

"Hi, Max," Mitchie said.

There was no response.

"Say hi, Max," Alex said loudly, trying to get his attention.

"Hi Max?" he asked, a confused look crossing his face as he addressed his sister. "Why would I say hi to myself?"

Alex rolled her eyes. "My brother," she said simply to Mitchie before she took the pie over to the counter and placed it next to the pecan pie her mother had bought from a little bakery down the street.

"Let me take your coat, Mitchie," Justin said.

"Thanks." She allowed Justin to begin helping her out of it.

"Leave your coat on, Mitch. You're going to need it," Alex said.

"Why? What are we doing?" she asked curiously.

"We're going somewhere." Alex buttoned up her coat.

"Where?" Justin asked.

"None of your business," Alex said, sticking her tongue out at her brother playfully. "We'll be back in time for lunch," she called over her shoulder to her parents. Then, she took Mitchie by the gloved hand and pulled her out the door before Justin could question them again.

"Unbelievable," Justin said, shaking his head. He looked at his parents. "Do _you_ know where they're going?"

"Nope," Jerry said, shaking his head.

"Do we ever?" Theresa asked, chopping up some carrots for the salad.

"Well aren't you worried?" He exclaimed.

"She's with Mitchie," Theresa said, shrugging her shoulders. "It can't be that bad."

"That doesn't mean anything!" Justin threw his hands up in the air.

"Justin, stop worrying about it. I'm sure they're fine," Jerry said. "Now you and Max set the table."

Justin glared at the closed door. "What are you up to this time, Alex?" he muttered under his breath.

* * *

"So this is why you told me to be here so early?" Mitchie questioned as Alex led her onto the street.

"Yup," Alex said, glancing around. When she saw that the street was empty, she pulled Mitchie into the alleyway between her building and the one next to it.

"Alex, what are we doing?" Mitchie looked over her shoulder, a chill going through her. Alleyways creeped her out.

"Just trust me." She slipped her hand from Mitchie's and walked over to a set of three silver garbage cans. She bent down and picked something up from behind them. It was a rolled up old rug. She set it down on the pavement and gave it a little push, unrolling it. "Ta da," she said, standing and pointing at it, a bright smile on her face.

"You wanted to show me an old rug?" Mitchie quirked an eyebrow at her friend, thinking she'd lost her mind.

"This isn't just an old rug!" Alex said. "In fact, it's more like a _carpet_. And there's something special about it."

"What, does it fly?" Mitchie smirked, joking.

"Yes, actually, it does," Alex said.

Mitchie's expression turned into one of shock as her jaw dropped. Alex just laughed and put her hand under Mitchie's chin, closing her mouth for her.

"You're serious?" Mitchie asked, staring at the carpet.

"Yes, I am," Alex said, sitting on the magical object. "What do you say? Want to go for a spin?"

"I don't know…" Mitchie said nervously. "Isn't it a little dangerous?"

"Not at all!" Alex patted the spot beside her, motioning for Mitchie to sit. "Come on, I have my flying license."

"Flying license, huh?" Mitchie reluctantly sat next to Alex. "So you're Aladdin now? Do you have a magic genie too?"

"Don't ever joke about genies!" Alex said, her eyes wide as she remembered the time she'd almost lost Justin as her brother and turned him invisible. "They're tricky, underhanded, and not as nice as you'd think."

"Okay," Mitchie said, knowing she should probably believe her, no matter how crazy this all still seemed.

"Good," Alex said, taking hold of the edge of the carpet. "Now hang on. I'll try not to go too fast so we won't get too cold."

"Hang onto what?" Mitchie asked, looking around for a handle or something.

"Uh…" Alex looked around also, noticing there was really nothing to hold on to. "Sit behind me and wrap your arms around my waist."

Mitchie moved so that she was sitting like Alex had instructed. She wrapped her arms around Alex and no sooner had she done so, they were lifting into the air. Once they were high enough, Alex made them move forward. As they moved, the wind blew strands of Alex's hair into Mitchie's face, tickling her nose. She wasn't sure if it was the movement or being this close to Alex, but Mitchie's stomach was flipping.

Sometimes she felt sorry for her baby, having to feel her get nervous every time Alex came around her or to mind, which was a lot.

She looked over the edge as they flew, but quickly decided this was not too good of an idea. She never really liked heights. So, she rested her chin on Alex's shoulder and pressed herself closer to the other girl's body. When Alex noticed this, her breathing hitched and her heartbeats started coming faster. She could hear the blood in her ears over the roar of the wind. The beats seemed to make her entire body vibrate every time they pounded. She was certain Mitchie would tell.

"Where are we going exactly?" Mitchie asked in Alex's ear after about ten minutes, warming it with her breath.

Alex shivered pleasantly. "You'll see. We're actually landing in three…two…one…"

The carpet started to dip and their speed decreased. Before Mitchie knew it, Alex had landed them on top of what looked to be an empty roof top.

"Uh…This is…Nice?" Mitchie said, looking around.

Alex stood, going over to the edge of the roof, which had a railing. She looked over the edge and smirked. "Come see," she said to Mitchie, motioning her over.

Mitchie stood, going over and looking like Alex was. Below, there were people all over the place. Barricades were blocking off the street, police watching to make sure no one ran out into it. There were cameras set up, seeming to be ready.

"What are they all doing?" Mitchie asked curiously.

"Shh," Alex said, holding a finger to her lips. "Listen."

Mitchie strained her ears to hear. Faintly, she heard music. It gradually started getting louder and louder. She craned her neck and narrowed her eyes in the direction from where the music seemed to be coming. There were now people in the street; some looked to be marching in time to the music. Then, around the corner, came something massive floating in the air. It was a balloon!

"Alex!" Mitchie said excitedly, looking to her friend.

"Welcome to your first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade." She smiled warmly at Mitchie.

"But…How?" She asked, her eyes going back to the approaching parade.

"I came out here last night and scoped it out," Alex said. "This rooftop has no access. Neither do any of the surrounding buildings. We could get here safely without being seen with the direction we came from. And if anyone saw us, they'd just see a big rectangle in the sky and figure it was a runaway balloon…Or an alien spaceship or something if they're like Justin."

Mitchie tore her eyes from the parade again. "Alex, this is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

They locked eyes for a few moments before both leaning into each other and embracing tightly. They stayed like that until it had gotten quite obvious that the parade was directly below them because of the volume of the music.

They repositioned themselves so that their arms were still around each other, but they were able to face the parade and watch it. Mitchie's head rested on Alex's shoulder, Alex's head on top of hers. They didn't even realize they were standing like lovers. They were both too busy intently watching the show below them.

Neither spoke, too lost in their own little world. Finally, Alex lifted her head and looked down at Mitchie's content face. Mitchie then lifted her head as well, turning it to look at Alex. Two pairs of brown eyes locked together. Unconsciously, they turned towards each other, their bodies pressing together. It was then that they each realized how close their faces actually were. Mitchie could feel the quick gasps of Alex's breath against her lips. As if being pulled by some magnetic force, each started to lean her face in closer.

Mitchie's eyelids fluttered closed as Alex's lips brushed her own softly. When Mitchie didn't pull back, Alex closed her eyes and kissed Mitchie fully on the lips, tingles spreading through her entire body. She brought her hands up and cupped Mitchie's face, pressing their lips together a little harder. Mitchie melted at Alex's touch, her stomach feeling as if she had entire clan of butterflies living in there. She placed her hands on Alex's hips, the world completely disappearing around her.

It was as if they'd entered a cone of silence and the world slowed down. Their lips moved together as one, as if they'd been molded just to fit together like this. Mitchie had never felt anything so wonderful, even if the kiss was fairly simple. She emitted a soft moan of satisfaction as Alex sucked her upper lip gently. Alex, who had been lost in ecstasy, was flooded with heat at the sound of this moan.

Finally realizing what she was doing, Alex opened her eyes and pulled away, breaking the kiss. She removed her gloved hands from Mitchie's face, Mitchie's fingers slipping from her waist as she took a step back. Mitchie's eyes shot open. They both stared at each other, wide eyed and in shock as they tried to regain control of their breathing.

"I…" Alex gulped. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…The line…I promised I wouldn't…But I couldn't help it…" She trailed off, not being able to form a full sentence.

"Don't be sorry," Mitchie said, shaking her head. "I kissed you back."

"But I shouldn't have kissed you in the first place!" Alex snapped, angry with herself. She really blew it this time. She'd been falling for Mitchie, and now that she knew what she tasted like, it would be impossible to stop. And this would only cause pain.

"Alex, this isn't your fault!" Mitchie yelled. "I kissed you too!"

"I let my feelings get the better of me," Alex muttered, ignoring Mitchie.

"And those feelings are returned!" Mitchie yelled over the noise of the parade, which was still going in the street below.

"What?" Alex whipped her head around and looked at Mitchie. The sound of a drum was pounding in her head. Frustrated, she pulled her wand from its holder and gave it a wave. She and Mitchie were instantly placed in a real cone of silence, where the only sounds that could be heard were their voices when they chose to speak. "What did you say?"

"You heard me," Mitchie said. She looked over the edge of the roof, seeing that the parade hadn't disappeared and no one seemed to be confused that it was muted. "What did you do?" she asked Alex.

"Simple silencing spell. The people down there can hear the parade, but we can't," Alex said. "Now don't change the subject. What do you mean my feelings are returned?"

Mitchie fidgeted under Alex's gaze. "The other day, Monday, I went over to hang out with you. I kind of overheard you and Harper talking…"

"You listened in?" Alex exclaimed, not angry but embarrassed. "What did you hear?"

"The last thing was you saying you were falling in love with me…" Mitchie bit her lip.

"Well that's just great!" Alex kicked at the ground. "Look," she said, her eyes meeting Mitchie's, "you can't have feelings for me. It's probably just you needing someone because you're lonely because of the baby. And the fact that you know about my feelings doesn't help. You'll get over it." She sounded so bitter. All of her fears were surfacing. She was so scared of rejection, she'd push Mitchie away before either of them could get really hurt.

"That's not the reason!" Mitchie yelled, getting angry. "Don't brush my feelings off, Alex! You think just because I had sex with a guy that I can't be attracted to girls? There _is_ such a thing as being bisexual, you know! And these feelings didn't just pop up randomly since you came out to me or in as little time as it has been since Monday night! These have been developing from the first moment I laid eyes on you! And don't go getting a big ego and thinking you 'turned' me, either, because there were plenty of girls I had crushes on before I met you! In fact, my pregnancy is a result of going too far to make a girl jealous!"

Alex stood there, speechless, her jaw hanging open slightly. She'd never seen Mitchie this angry before. But hurt and rejection were fueling this anger.

"You know, Tuesday, I was going to tell you about my feelings for you," Mitchie said a little quieter. "I was about to take this huge risk, and then you jumped up saying you had to leave! That afternoon I was so certain, so sure you were what I wanted. What I _needed_, even! But now, I'm not so sure."

"Mitchie…" Alex started to say.

"You don't get it, Alex," Mitchie said with a sigh. Alex's only response was to shut her mouth. Mitchie shook her head. "You just wouldn't understand."

"Then help me to!" Alex exclaimed. "I don't know what you're talking about! What don't I get? What wouldn't I understand?"

"Where I'm coming from! You don't know how it feels to be in my situation unless you've been in it, which you haven't!" Mitchie yelled. "I'm not just worried about me! I'm having a child! That means there is someone else's life I'm responsible for. My decisions can affect his or her life! Do you want to be in a relationship with me, Alex?"

"I think I might…"

"Well I come with a lot of baggage! I can't jump into something because you 'think' you want to move out of the friend zone! Being with me means taking on a lot of responsibility, Lex," she said the last part a little more gently. "And I don't know if you realize that. Personally, I want to be with you. I really do. Caitlyn says I should give you a chance to prove to me you can be what I and this baby need, but I don't know if that's a chance I can take. I can't just introduce you into this kid's life and then have you decide one day that it isn't what you want and leave, confusing the crap out of him or her and hurting me along the way."

"And how do you know I'd do that?" Alex asked, getting a little angry herself.

"I'm not saying you would," Mitchie said. "I'm just scared of getting hurt again. I can't help thinking that way."

"I wouldn't do that, Mitchie. I promise…"

"I wish I could believe that, Alex." Mitchie sighed. "But I just can't help thinking that…That… You aren't mature enough to deal with this."

"Yes I am!" Alex exclaimed, taking a step towards Mitchie so that she was standing right in front of her. "I'll prove it!"

"How? How can you do that?" Mitchie asked as Alex took her hands. "Asking you to be anything more than my friend is almost like asking you to be a parent."

"And how do you know I can't handle that?" Alex asked seriously. "Mitchie, why are you thinking so deeply about this? You're overanalyzing everything so much that this relationship is doomed before it even has a chance to start."

"That's how I am, Alex," Mitchie said. "I always have a plan. My plans got screwed up when I got pregnant. So I made a new one. And this wasn't part of it."

"You don't plan these things. They just happen, Mitch," Alex said, looking deep into Mitchie's eyes. "And sometimes you have to let them."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying…" She paused to think about what she wanted to say exactly. "That we're unconventional, yes, but you can't deny that there's something between us and there has been since the moment we met. We'd be stupid to fight it. So let's not. Let's just take it day by day and see what happens. We don't need to plan every single moment of every single day. Let's just live for now and try to be happy. And damn it, you make me happy! All I have to do is think about you and my mood is lifted!"

"Alex…" Mitchie shook her head. "What about my parents? How would I explain this to them?"

"By telling them what you told me: the truth," Alex said. "That you've always been attracted to girls."

Mitchie's eyes started filling with tears. "Don't hurt me, Russo."

"I don't plan on it," Alex said, letting go of one of Mitchie's hands and cupping her cheek. "I've been hurt before too. I know how it feels. I would never do that to you. I care about you."

"But what about my baby?" Mitchie leaned into Alex's touch without even noticing she was doing it. "Say we're together until he or she is five and then what? I can't just introduce you into his or her life as a big part and then you not be there anymore."

"Why are you thinking that far ahead?" Alex asked. "You're freaking yourself out over something that _might _happen. You can't stop yourself from being happy because of might's or maybe's."

"But there's so much to think about!" Mitchie said. "We…I…He…She…"

"Mitchie!" Alex placed her hand over Mitchie's mouth to quiet her rambling. "You need to take care of yourself as much as your baby right now. It can feel everything you feel. Joy, sadness, depression, all of it. You need to be happy. Do you think I could make you happy?" She removed her hand from Mitchie's mouth.

Mitchie was silent for a few seconds before saying, "You already do."

"Then it's quite simple. Don't think too hard about this, just give me the first answer that comes to your mind." Alex took hold of Mitchie's hands again. "Do you want to be with me?"

"Yes," Mitchie said without hesitation.

"Then I just have one more question for you. Once again, don't think about it. Just do what your heart tells you." Alex took a deep breath, bracing herself for rejection. "Mitchie, will you be my girlfriend?"

Not saying anything, Mitchie removed her hands from Alex's and grabbed the other girl's face, bringing it to her own. She kissed Alex soundly on the lips. Alex was shocked and surprised at first, but quickly recovered, wrapping her arms around Mitchie's waist and pulling her closer, their bodies pressed together. Mitchie's hands slid from Alex's face to her neck, around the back and into Alex's hair. Mitchie's entire body felt like it was on fire as Alex began to suck on her lip, like she'd done during their first kiss. She had to repress a moan. It just felt so good and (unlike her kiss with Caitlyn) _right_.

Mitchie pulled away after a few more moments, breathing heavily. Alex's eyes flashed open, a much darker brown than they normally were.

"That's what my heart told me to do," Mitchie said somewhat breathlessly. "And the answer to your question…Is yes."

* * *

**Guys, I came out! Like, I didn't make a huge announcement, I just decided to not care anymore. So I don't. And I'm not going to hold my tongue or hide anymore. My dad doesn't know still, but if he finds out, he finds out. No big deal. It's an amazing feeling, it really is. And I am so happy. **

**Thank all of you for the reviews and support. I know what you're going to say: ABOUT TIME THEY GOT TOGETHER! Yeah, so there, I said it for you. Now you don't have to. So don't leave a review with just that ;) Give me something good! **

**REVIEW!**


	20. What Just Happened?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place or Camp Rock.**

**I apologize for any mess ups. But, one of the themes of this story is that we all make mistakes, we're all human. I am no exception. I make mistakes. So deal with it. LOL, JK. Well, not really, but anyway… Seriously, though, I checked over it, but if I missed any, just overlook them.**

**Okay, I'm interested to see what you guys think about the Demi/ Selena couple name. So let's vote. A.) Delena B.) Semi C.) Demena D.) Lovez… Pick one!

* * *

**

Some twenty minutes after the parade ended, Alex was setting them down safely in the alley between her building and the one next to it. When they hit the ground, Mitchie stayed with her arms wrapped around Alex's waist, not wanting to move. She very much liked the seating position.

"Mitchie…What are you doing?" Alex chuckled a little, turning her neck as much as she could to look at the other girl. She could just see her out of the corner of her eye.

Mitchie smiled a little and pressed her cold nose into Alex's equally cold cheek. "Holding you," she said, her breath warming the Alex's cheek.

Alex felt heat flush her face, knowing she was blushing. Mitchie had a way of making her show feelings like no other. She was the only girl that had ever gotten Alex to blush over the simplest things. And no matter how much she hated being held, when Mitchie did it, it felt nice. It wasn't a possessive hold, like Nikki's. It was more loving, sweeter, like she was holding on for support instead of dominance.

"Well, as nice as this is, we have to go inside," Alex said reluctantly. She really didn't want to move. "There's a feast with our names on it. And plus, my parents are going to start wondering where we are."

"Fine…" Mitchie pouted slightly but stood up anyway.

She watched as Alex scooted to the edge of the carpet, crouching down to roll it up. As she did so, her jacket rid up a little, exposing a strip of tan skin along her back. Mitchie gazed longingly, her hormones driving her up a wall. Why did Alex have to be so sexy?

Alex stood and placed the carpet back in its hiding spot behind the garbage cans. She'd come get it later that night so her parents and brothers wouldn't know she'd had it. When she turned back around, she saw that Mitchie was now staring at her with somewhat darker eyes.

"What are you looking at?" Alex questioned, quirking her eyebrow a little.

"My hot as Hell girlfriend," Mitchie said with a slight smirk. She usually considered 'Hell' a curse word, and she didn't curse much, but since she'd met Alex, she'd been becoming bolder. After all, they were just words…

Alex couldn't stop the smile that filled her face, lighting it up like a Christmas tree. Her heart swelled and her body warmed. _Girlfriend_. She was Mitchie's _girlfriend_. And Mitchie was _her_ girlfriend. This filled her with a happiness she'd never felt before in her entire life.

"I like you," Alex said softly, looking at Mitchie with nothing but pure affection showing in her eyes.

"I like you, too." Mitchie bit her lip gently, gazing back at Alex, her own eyes warm with care for the other girl.

Each girl was satisfied with using the term 'like.' They knew it was way too soon to start tossing around the bigger L word, even if they'd used it already. But that was when they were only friends. Now they were more than that, and the word had a new meaning, held more weight. Yes, they still loved each other, but there was a huge jump from loving each other and being _in_ love. For now, _like_ was the accurate term, so its usage at the time was not only appropriate, but a little bit perfect.

Alex shook her head to get her thoughts clear, trying to fall out of the trance she'd fallen into whilst gazing into Mitchie's eyes.

"We should probably go inside now," she said. "It's freezing out here." She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered for emphasis.

"Good idea," Mitchie said, realizing pretty much her entire face was numb with cold.

They joined gloved hands and walked out onto the street, going straight to Alex's front door. Alex took her key from her pocket and put it in the lock, turning it. She pushed the door open, standing back to leave the doorway open.

"After you," she said to Mitchie, motioning inside.

"Well aren't you polite," Mitchie said, going to walk past Alex. She stopped when she was directly in front of her, leaning in and placing a soft kiss on her new girlfriend's cheek. "Thank you," she smiled sweetly, her face merely an inch from Alex's then walked inside before Alex even had time to register what had happened in her head.

"What a little tease," Alex said softly to herself as she followed Mitchie inside, somewhat in a daze.

* * *

"I can't believe you ate more than my dad! No one's ever done that before!" Alex laughed as she flopped down on her bed after they'd had Thanksgiving lunch and they'd retreated to Alex's room.

It had been a lovely meal. For the strange clan of Russos, it was actually normal. They went around the table saying what they were thankful for, then started eating. There was a minor mishap when Max accidentally spilled his drink all over the table, however. Jerry made a big deal of pointing out onto the terrace, making sure Mitchie looked and trying his best to keep her attention. When she turned back to the table, the mess had been cleaned as if Max had never spilled the drink at all. Mitchie made no comment about it as Alex sat there and smirked. If only her family was aware that Mitchie knew all about magic…

"I'm eating for two now," Mitchie muttered as she sat on Alex's bed, her face going somewhat red. She was hoping no one had noticed how much she'd actually consumed.

"Hey, I'm not making fun of you." Alex sat up and put her hand on Mitchie's back.

"Feels like you are," Mitchie said, turning her face to pout at Alex.

"I'm not. I swear I'm not." She rubbed her hand in small circles on Mitchie's back.

Mitchie said nothing, enjoying the sensations brought on by Alex's simplest touch. As she sat there, Alex began rubbing her back a little rougher.

"Does that feel good?" Alex asked, noticing Mitchie's face had relaxed.

"Very," Mitchie said in an almost dreamy voice, her eyes shutting.

Alex positioned her body so that she was kneeling behind Mitchie, who still sat at the foot of her bed. She placed her other hand on Mitchie's back, bringing them both up to her shoulders and giving them a slight squeeze. A small, hardly audible groan came from Mitchie, just loud enough for Alex to hear it. She applied more pressure and started to really dig her fingers in, working out the many knots Mitchie had in her back. She was so tense; Alex didn't know how she could stand it.

As Alex continued to work into her back, Mitchie's mouth opened slightly, allowing her to gasp with pleasure. She let her neck hang lose, her chin almost hitting her chest. Alex stopped momentarily to remove Mitchie's hair from her neck, making it hang over one of her shoulders. With a quick glance at the door to make sure it was closed, she remembered locking it, thankfully.

She placed her hands back on Mitchie's shoulders and began to rub in circular motions again as she pressed her lips gently to the back of Mitchie's neck. She continued to place soft butterfly kisses along all of Mitchie's exposed skin, all the while making the girl beneath her tremble with pleasure.

Finally, Mitchie stood from the bed, breaking her contact with Alex. She looked down at the other girl with _very_ dark eyes. Alex was still kneeling on the bed, gazing up at Mitchie, somewhat scared. She knew the kissing had been a little too much. She'd gone too fast and freaked her out and now Mitchie was going to be mad at−

Before Alex could get way too paranoid, Mitchie swooped down, took Alex's face in her hands, and kissed her fiercely. Alex didn't know what to do at first, very unsure how to respond. But she quickly recovered, shifting so that she was no longer kneeling, back sitting normally. She put her hands on Mitchie's waist, pulling her back onto the bed and positioned so that Mitchie sitting in Alex's lap. Mitchie leaned into Alex, the extra weight causing Alex to fall back slowly on the bed, Mitchie's body resting on top of hers. Mitchie had no idea what she was doing; she just knew that she _wanted_ Alex like she'd never wanted anyone before.

When Alex felt Mitchie's tongue slowly run across her bottom lip, she rolled them over so that she was on top. Her right hand slipped under Mitchie's shirt, but not much. She simply rubbed the skin along Mitchie's hip as Mitchie opened her mouth slightly to allow Alex more access. Alex took the invitation, slipping her tongue in between Mitchie's lips. Alex explored Mitchie's mouth with her tongue, shockwaves going through every single cell of both girls. As Alex started to massage Mitchie's tongue with her own, she felt a hand trail its way up the back of her shirt, soft fingers tickling her skin.

Alex broke the kiss, lifting herself up on her hands. She looked down at Mitchie, lust clouding her vision as she tried to regain control of her heartbeat and breathing. Mitchie, with her hair splayed across the bed, was breathing quite heavily herself, her brown eyes a deeper and darker brown than Alex had ever seen them. She was sure her own eyes were nearly black. She was so aroused, how could they not be?

As much as Alex wanted to continue what they'd just been doing, something was nagging in the back of her head. They'd officially become a couple only about two hours ago, and now they were making out on her bed? This was too much, too fast.

"Mitchie, what are we doing?" she asked softly, her head shaking ever so slightly.

Mitchie blinked up at her a few times with a confused look on her face, as if Alex had spoken another language and she was trying to understand it. Then, the words registered in her head, and her face flushed a brilliant rose color.

"Oh, God," she said, sitting up.

Alex shifted to give her room, but still supported herself on her arm so that she was leaning towards Mitchie.

"I'm sorry," Mitchie said, putting her head in her hands.

"It's okay," Alex said, bumping her shoulder against Mitchie's.

"No, it's not." Mitchie lifted her still-red face to look at Alex. "I don't know what got into me. I just…I don't know. Something took over me. I'm not like that. I don't move that fast with people."

"Yeah, I did think we were going a little fast," Alex admitted, nodding. "That's why I stopped…"

"You shouldn't have had to stop me." Mitchie brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. "I'm not the kind of girl that jumps into things like this. We just got our feelings out in the open, and now we're dating, and then we're…we're…About to have sex!"

"We were about to have sex?" Alex raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Mitchie looked at Alex. "Weren't we?"

"If we were, I didn't know about it…"

Mitchie's face, which had not faded, turned even redder, if that was even possible. "What the hell is wrong with me?" She closed her eyes and threw herself back on the bed, her head resting on one of Alex's pillows.

"Mitchie…"

"No. Don't look at me. I'm too embarrassed." Mitchie covered her hands with her face.

Alex chuckled slightly at how cute Mitchie was when she got flustered and lay down beside her girlfriend, on her side with her arm propping up her head.

"Mitch," she said softly, using her free hand to try to lift one of Mitchie's from her face.

A brown eye appeared between one of the cracks of Mitchie's fingers as Alex tugged at them. Alex smiled down at Mitchie, who sighed and removed her hands from her face completely, one in Alex's grasp. Alex held it delicately and brought it to her lips, giving it a gentle kiss on its palm.

"Do not be embarrassed," she said, gazing at Mitchie lovingly. "We both got caught in the heat of the moment. I think we're both dealing with pent up emotions right now. They're near bursting point. Personally, I've been wanting to put my lips on you since you opened that door and I saw you standing there. You wanna know what my first thought was?"

Mitchie exhaled slowly through her nose. "What?"

"That you had the most beautiful brown eyes I'd ever seen," Alex said.

Mitchie smiled, color returning to her cheeks as she blushed a little. "Really?"

"Really." Alex nodded. "And then I noticed those cute little freckles on your nose." As if for emphasis, Alex leaned over and placed a soft kiss on the tip of Mitchie's nose.

Mitchie crinkled it in response, smiling brightly, which Alex returned. They stared at each other for a minute or so, just enjoying the peace and quiet and togetherness. Slowly, though, Mitchie's face started to fall. She was beginning to worry again.

"What _are_ we doing, Alex?" Mitchie questioned. "How can we possibly be naïve enough to believe this can work?"

"You just have to have faith, Mitchie," Alex said, giving Mitchie's hand, which she was still holding, a squeeze.

"But…My parents." Mitchie shook her head. "I can't keep this from them, but I don't know how to tell them."

"Well, maybe let yourself get used to it before telling them," Alex said. "I don't plan on telling my parents any time soon."

"Why not?" Mitchie asked. "It's not like you'd be coming out to them like I would be. They already know you like girls... Don't they?"

"They do, but if they knew I was dating you, do you think they'd let me have you alone in my room?" Alex flashed Mitchie a devilish grin.

Mitchie smirked. "True…"

"Besides, they'd freak about the baby thing," Alex said while rolling her eyes a little. "They'd worry about me taking on too much responsibility."

"Do you think you are?" Mitchie asked.

Alex took note of how vulnerable, how breakable, Mitchie looked. She smiled softly and squeezed Mitchie's hand again.

"Not at all," she said gently, reaching out with her free hand to tuck Mitchie's hair behind her ear. "We're going to figure all this out as we go. Life is about learning, and we're going to learn together."

"But Alex, what if we don't work? What then?"

"What did I tell you about might's and maybe's?" Alex asked with fake sternness.

"That I can't let them stop me from being happy," Mitchie answered.

"Exactly." Alex nodded. "Sometimes having a plan is the worst thing you could ever do. Sometimes you just have to live in the moment and take it one day at a time.

Mitchie nodded also. "I guess."

"Mitch, I have a really good feeling about this…About us." Alex looked at Mitchie intently. "Do you?"

"Yeah, I do," she said quietly. "This, right here−" she lifted their intertwined hands "−it feels right."

"I know what you mean." Alex smiled. "You know, Justin knew I liked you. He knew it from the very first day. He was afraid I would pursue you just to get you in bed, then dump you." When Alex saw the alarmed look on Mitchie's face, she added, "Which I would never do!"

"It's not that." Mitchie shook her head. "It's just…How can people think that about you? Let alone your own brother?"

"I really don't know," Alex said somewhat sadly, letting her hand drop from Mitchie's. "He seems to think I'm this big womanizer, but I'm not."

Mitchie bit her lip, wanting to ask Alex how many girls she'd actually been with, but knowing it was probably better if she didn't. After all, every time she'd seen this scenario in a book or movie, the characters always got in a fight. And she didn't want that. Besides, did it really matter? She'd slept with someone, after all, so it's not like she was innocent herself. But something in her told her that Alex was good, untainted…

"You know I'm not, right?" Alex asked, taking Mitchie's quietness as a bad sign.

"Of course I do," Mitchie said gently. "You're too sweet for that."

Alex smiled a little before her face turned serious. "So… Back to the issue of parents."

"Yours or mine?" Mitchie asked, sitting up.

"Yours." Alex sat up as well. "I think you should tell them if and when you're ready. Don't rush it or put pressure on yourself."

"And what if I'm never ready?"

"You will be one day," Alex said. "But I'm not telling my parents."

"I don't know if I'll tell mine any time soon. It really depends." Mitchie sighed.

"Well, if you want, I'm fine with keeping it our dirty little secret," Alex said.

"I don't think it's dirty." Mitchie smirked. "Actually, I think we're quite the lovely couple."

"Oh do you?" Alex smiled. "Well, I do too."

"Good." Mitchie nudged Alex's knee with her own. "But as far as secret, that might have to be an option until I get up the nerve to tell my parents."

"When do you think that will be?" Alex asked. "I'm not trying to pressure you, I'm just curious."

"I don't know, Alex." Mitchie shook her head. "It could be today, tomorrow, or even months from now. Just be prepared for them to be very angry and not like you anymore."

"Oh, can't wait," Alex said sarcastically.

"Hey, you can't blame them for being upset if they are," Mitchie said, reaching out and taking Alex's hand again. "They've had a lot to deal with from me this year. There are two things parents aren't too fond of hearing from their teenagers. First is that they're going to make them grandparents, second is that they're gay. My parents are getting both, here. Give them a break."

"Do you think things would be different if you weren't pregnant?" Alex asked, looking at Mitchie.

"If I wasn't, we wouldn't have moved in the first place," Mitchie said quietly. "You and I would have never met."

"Well, I guess everything happens for a reason…" Alex offered a small smile.

They sat in silence for a while, hands still locked together, trying to process what they'd just gone through. This was all mind-boggling. It was so much to take in in so little time. And now what was weird was it seemed as though all of this was supposed to happen. That Mitchie was supposed to get pregnant so she would have to move, and therefore meet Alex, who she would soon fall for. It was like something out of a movie or a book. It was too good to be true. It was as if they were destined to be together, like it was fate…

But that was too weird. These things didn't happen in real life. They weren't in a fairytale. This was the real world, where even though wizards, goblins, and vampires existed, things like this didn't really happen. It was all coincidence.

But, Alex really did believe everything happened for a reason. So, her logic didn't make sense. If it was all a big coincidence, then what was the reason? There is no reason with coincidences. It was all so irritating to think about!

Alex shook her head, a little frustrated. She didn't want to think about it anymore. She just wanted to live her life happily. What did it matter why Mitchie was in her life now? The important thing was that she was.

She looked over to her girlfriend to see her staring off into space intently. She seemed to be thinking about something as well, but if it was the same thing Alex was thinking, she'd never know.

She took this opportunity to look at Mitchie's stomach. She had to admit, it was growing every day, getting more noticeable. She had no idea how far along Mitchie was, but she couldn't have been too far if she wasn't that big yet.

"Do you know what it is?" Alex asked out of the blue.

"Huh?" Mitchie asked, turning her attention to Alex.

"The baby," Alex said, gesturing to Mitchie's stomach. "Do you know if it's a boy or a girl yet?"

"Oh." Mitchie looked down at her stomach. "I have no idea, actually. I'm going to the doctor soon, though. I probably should have gone a long time ago, but with the move and everything, we just forgot."

"Are you going to be able to find out the sex?"

"I don't know if I want to know," Mitchie admitted. "Parents used to not be able to find out what they were having until the baby was born. Now we have science to tell us, and that's an unfair advantage. It's like cheating."

"Mitchie, just because our generation is privileged doesn't mean you're a bad person if find out what you're having," Alex said with a chuckle. "Besides, how will you know what kind of clothes and toys to buy for it?"

"I was just going to buy a little of both and take care of the rest later." Mitchie shrugged. "I haven't given it too much thought, honestly. But I'm pretty sure I don't want to know."

"Really?" Alex quirked her eyebrows.

"Really." Mitchie nodded.

"Well, what do you _think_ it is?" Alex asked, switching her position so she was sitting cross-legged.

"I don't have a clue." Mitchie mirrored Alex's position, sitting so that they were looking at each other.

"Well, it can either be a boy or a girl. You have a fifty-fifty shot at being right." Alex smirked. "Unless it has both parts. That changes everything."

"Alex!" Mitchie frowned at her girlfriend. "Don't say things like that. You're scaring me."

"Sorry." Alex said with a smile, making it hard for Mitchie to believe she was actually sorry. "Oh my gosh, what if you're having twins?"

"Stop it! Shut up! Just shut up!" Mitchie covered her ears with her hands.

"Mitchie!" Alex laughed and tried to pry Mitchie's hands from the sides of her head. "I was kidding!"

Mitchie put her hands down and pouted . "You're not funny."

"I'm sorry," Alex said, meaning it this time. "Watch."

She crawled over to the top of her bed and sat, resting her back on the headboard. When Mitchie gave her a confused look, Alex opened her arms and smiled.

"Come here."

"No." Mitchie shook her head.

Alex's smile dropped, as well as her arms. "No?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I'm mad at you."

"Why?" Alex pouted, like Mitchie was still doing.

Mitchie crossed her arms over her chest. "You told me I'd have hermaphrodite twins."

"I wasn't serious about that."

"You still said it," Mitchie said, raising her eyebrows.

"Mitchie, I'm positive that any baby of yours will be absolutely gorgeous," Alex said seriously. "And as for twins, they're somewhat rare. They usually run in families or are a result of artificial insemination. If you don't have a history of twins in your family or the father's and you got pregnant naturally, I think you're safe."

Mitchie stared, thinking over what Alex had just said. First, she was flattered by the gorgeous baby thing. Second, however, she was terrified. Did Shane have a history of twins in his family? She had no idea. And that scared the shit out of her.

"Hey, are you okay?" Alex asked when she noticed how scared Mitchie looked. Mitchie only shook her head. "Come here," Alex said, opening her arms again.

Mitchie crawled over to Alex, settling herself in between Alex's legs so that she was sideways, the right side of her body leaning into Alex with her head on her shoulder. Alex's arms instantly wrapped around Mitchie's body protectively. She was still slightly mad at her, but she needed the comfort.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked.

"I don't know if the dad has twins in his family," Mitchie said quietly. "I don't know so many things about him. And yet, I let him take something from me that was so precious…Something I can never get back."

Alex didn't know what to say, so she just sat there, letting Mitchie speak if she felt she needed to.

"But I guess it needed to happen." Mitchie sighed. "I needed to learn that lesson. I got what was coming to me for lying."

"Mitchie, no one deserves what happened to you, especially not you," Alex said, anger flooding her body. She remembered the story perfectly in her head. She'd felt so helpless when Mitchie recounted it to her. And whoever this guys was, Alex hated him. She didn't know him, but she hated him. He was the reason for the partial nightmare Mitchie was currently in. "Mitch, you're so great. You're the most wonderful, beautiful, sweetest girl I've ever met. Whoever did this to you is going to rot in Hell for it. Don't for one second think you deserved to be used and tossed aside like you were. You deserve so much better than that. You deserve the best. And I'm going to try my hardest to give that to you. Mark my words, Mitchie Torres, I will make you see how beautiful you are."

Mitchie looked at Alex in shock. Her eyes had gotten wide and she felt tears welling in them. No one had ever said anything that sweet to her in her entire life. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to form words, trying to find the right thing to say. Finally, she picked two very simple words that seemed to be all she could manage.

"Thank you," she said before burying her face in Alex's neck, her now-flowing tears wetting the other girl's skin.

Alex wrapped her arms tighter around Mitchie, her heart aching to see her like this. One thing was clear, and that was that this girl was broken.

And Alex was going to do whatever it took to fix her.

* * *

**I don't know what I have going on. I put off a paper that's worth 40 percent of my grade to write this. It's getting to crunch time with finals and such. Most likely going to write during Thanksgiving break, but after that, it's really uncertain.**

**REVIEW! NOW! GO! DO IIIIIIITTTTT!**


	21. Hi, My Name Is Scum

**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place.**

**OMG, have you seen the new Harry Potter yet? If not, get your ass up and go see it now! You're not allowed to read this chapter until you've seen that movie. It's simply amazing! I've seen it twice already.**

**Okay, so of those that answered my little survey showed me that we're pretty much all on the same page. Personally, I say DeMena. And that's what got answered the most. Dude, if you answered Delena, slap yo-self. Delena is David and Selena! Not Jalex, that's Justin and Alex (yes, they're different!). And Semi…Yeah, that sounds stupid. Stemi is Sterling and Demi. Semi is just blah. And Lovez is okay, but I don't think is as obvious who the couple is. On youtube, we've decided on DEMENA. And that's what I'm sticking with. So, either say it my way or be wrong. Your choice. Just saying. ;) But seriously, search "Demena" on youtube, and Selena and Demi videos will show up. Search "Delena" and you will get David and Selena videos. So Demena is the correct name. Okay, rant done. Getting on with life…Now.**

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Saturday morning, Mitchie set out on the streets of New York in search of Caitlyn's apartment. She knew her friend had gotten in the night before and had had to stop herself from rushing over at eleven at night. She was so anxious to talk to her that she was nearly bursting. After sending several texts to Caitlyn and getting no response, and making about five unanswered calls, Mitchie decided the best thing to do was to just go find her.

Caitlyn had given her the address weeks before just so she had it, but Mitchie never expected to have to go out looking for the building by herself. She figured if she would go to Caitlyn's, Caitlyn would actually be with her at least her first time over. But that wasn't the case.

Refusing to take the subway ever again, Mitchie walked. Her map on her phone showed that her friend didn't live too far, but after Mitchie went down the wrong street several times, she still hadn't arrived after twenty minutes. As she walked, she kept her hand on her can of pepper spray in her pocket that her father had gotten her. She hated walking the streets alone. It always made her nervous, and the pepper spray hardly made it any better. She was fairly certain her clumsy self would spray her own face by accident.

She just wished Alex was there with her. Whenever she was around Alex, she felt safe. She craved her hand to hold. Also, she knew all Alex had to do was wave her wand and no harm would come to them. The wizard thing was a definite plus. But Mitchie didn't just want her girlfriend there for safety reasons. She also wanted her there because she missed her. She hadn't seen her since Thanksgiving. Alex had been too busy working at the sub shop. But if Alex could get off early enough, they would try to get together that night.

First, though, Mitchie had to tell Caitlyn that she was dating Alex. She simply couldn't hold it in any longer. She had no one to tell, since she was terrified to tell her parents, and Alex already knew who Mitchie was dating because it was her. And plus she knew Caitlyn would have a fit if she found out Mitchie had kept it from her.

GAP

Nearly an hour after Mitchie left her apartment, she found herself standing outside a really nice apartment complex. It was a palace compared to hers. It even had the little buzzers where you had to press it and talk into it in order for someone to unlock the door just so you could get into the _lobby._

Mitchie scanned the list of last names until she found _Geller_ in neat letters next to the door number 3B. She pressed the button, heard a buzzing sound, and waited, shivering in the cold now that she was under the shadow of the building and no longer standing in the sun.

"Yes?" A deep voice asked. Mitchie assumed this was Caitlyn's father.

"Is this Mr. Geller?" She asked timidly into the little box, not sure whether or not she had to hold the button down again to talk and praying it was actually Caitlyn's dad on the other side of that speaker.

"Yes. Who's this?" The voice asked, sounding slightly curious.

"My name's Mitchie Torres," she said, feeling a little stupid to be talking to a machine and not a person. "I'm a friend of Caitlyn's. Is she home?"

"She got in last night, yes."

Mitchie waited for an invitation, hating to invite herself, but when one never came, she sighed.

"May I come in and see her?"

"I suppose so."

Before Mitchie could offer her thanks, she heard a deeper, louder buzzing noise and then a _click._ She tested the door and sure enough, it opened. She went straight to the elevator, not wanting to stay too long in the extremely nice lobby; she felt out of place. The elevator came almost as soon as she'd summoned it, much unlike the one in her building, which took over a minute most of the time.

Once on the second floor, Mitchie walked briskly to door number three, not wanting anyone to see her. Seriously, she did not want these rich people to look at her. She always felt that people with more money than her were judging her.

She knocked on the door and waited. After a good thirty seconds, she knocked again. She was about to knock a third time when the door swung open.

Mitchie looked at the man standing before her, slightly fearful. He looked kind enough, but was still intimidating. His brown, slightly wavy, hair was brushed back. Upon closer inspection, Mitchie could see that the sides turning gray. Perched on his nose were glasses with rectangular frames. Under his nose, he wore a slight smile. On his body, he wore brown slacks with a navy sweater, a white button down under it.

"Hi," Mitchie squeaked. She had no idea what to make of this man, and that scared her.

"Hello." Mr. Geller stepped back to let her in. "Mitchie, is it?"

"Yes." Mitchie nodded, walking inside. "Nice to meet you."

She waited for him to say it was nice to meet her too, or smile or something like that. But he didn't. He just closed the door and put his hands in his pockets, then began to look her up and down. Mitchie hated this. She felt like she was under a microscope, and it made her squirm under her large winter coat.

"Is Caitlyn in her room?" She asked, just ready to get to what she came here for.

"I guess." Mr. Geller shrugged.

"You guess?" Mitchie raised an eyebrow.

"I haven't seen her all morning." He scratched the back of his neck.

"Well, where is her room?"

"Up the stairs, on the left." He pointed toward a metal spiral staircase at the far end of the living room.

Mitchie internally groaned. _Stairs_. Great. Why did all of her friends have stairs?

"Thanks," she told Caitlyn's father.

"Yup," was the last thing he said before he retreated to a room just off the living room. Before he shut the door, Mitchie caught a glimpse of a computer sitting on a large oak desk and a bookcase against one wall. She guessed it was his study.

Mitchie shook her head slightly as she crossed the incredible living room, shedding her coat in the warm apartment. She had to remember not to let her jaw drop. The furniture was sleek and stylish, all new age stuff. There was a shelf with over fifty blue-ray movies and nearly a hundred DVDS. Mounted on the wall was a huge flat screen television. And not to mention the vastness of the living room. She could fit her entire apartment in this one room.

As she ascended the staircase, she caught a glimpse of the kitchen, which she'd just noticed. All of the appliances were cutting edge, and it looked like it had never been used because of how clean it was.

When she got to the landing, she took a quick look around. There was only one door to the left, so she turned the knob and pushed it open slowly, hoping that Mr. Geller's left and her left were the same left.

The room was slightly dark, but had a decent amount of light coming streaming in from the curtains hanging over glass French doors, leading out onto a balcony. Clothes littered the floor and Mitchie nearly tripped over Caitlyn's dancing bag when walking in. Yup. This was definitely Caitlyn's room. She turned her head in the direction of deep breathing. Caitlyn's bed was along the bed furthest from the French doors.

Caitlyn lay on her stomach, her face towards Mitchie and her mouth hanging open slightly, making a funny wheezing noise every time she breathed. One hand dangled from the bed, just brushing the light pink carpet, which Mitchie thought was a completely wrong color for any room Caitlyn inhabited. On her face rested few of her light brown curls, which Mitchie moved.

She admired Caitlyn's sleeping face. She really was gorgeous, and Mitchie partially wished they could have had something, but at the same time she really didn't. She knew it wasn't meant to be. Plus, she wouldn't trade Alex for anything.

Caitlyn looked so peaceful in sleep, it almost seemed a shame to wake her…

Mitchie smiled devilishly as she set her coat on the ground and bent down, placing her mouth right near her sleeping friend's ear.

"HEY, CAITLYN!" She said loudly.

"Gah!" Caitlyn jumped instantly, evoking thrilled laughter from Mitchie. She reached a shaky hand over to her bedside table, switching it on. Her bedroom flooded with light, a warm glow illuminating her giggling friend's face. Caitlyn blinked her eyes a few times. "Mitchie," she said slightly crossly. She straightened out her light blue sleeping tank top, which had gotten somewhat disheveled from her frantic jump; she also pulled up her matching blue pajama pants, which were a little too big and had a habit of slipping down when she slept.

"Sorry, Cay," Mitchie said, still laughing a little. "I couldn't resist."

"You're going to be the death of me, I swear," Caitlyn said, running a hand over her tired face. "What are you doing here so early?"

"It's ten, Cay," Mitchie said, pointing to the clock near the lamp, the time lit up in red letters. It read _10:04._

"Which is like seven during the holidays," Caitlyn said with a yawn. "My flight didn't get in until some time after midnight because of some stupid mechanical issues, so we were delayed. Then I was up until almost four unpacking."

"I see that," Mitchie said, scanning the room. It was a complete mess. There were clothes everywhere. "Did you make sure you put everything back where you'd had it before? Do you think that pile of clothes might have been somewhere else?" she asked, pointing to one of the various piles that littered Caitlyn's floor.

"Shut up," Caitlyn said. "This was here before I left."

"Oh, I'm ever so sorry," Mitchie said sarcastically.

"Are you here to insult my cleanliness, or did you want something?" Caitlyn asked grumpily. She hated being woken. "Wait, how did you even know how to get here?"

"One, it's more like lack of cleanliness," Mitchie said with a smirk. "Two, I need to tell you something and you weren't answering my calls or texts because your lazy but was still asleep. And three, you gave me the address, numbskull."

"None of those insults were necessary," Caitlyn said, scooting over to give Mitchie room to sit on the bed as well.

Mitchie kicked off her shoes and climbed into bed with Caitlyn. She pulled the covers over her legs and made herself comfortable.

"Well someone's in a bad mood," she said.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm tired, which makes me bitchy." Caitlyn sighed. "Plus, I'm mad at my dad."

"Why?"

"He didn't ask a single question about my trip, and he's barely said two words to me since I've been home," Caitlyn said. "I doubt he even notices." She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, hugging them to her. "Trip was great, by the way. I missed my mom terribly. She and I had a great time."

"Well, it's good that you went see her, then," Mitchie said. "But you're right, your dad doesn't seem too talkative."

"He's not abusive or mean. He can and does buy me everything I want. I just…." Caitlyn sighed again. "I just wish I had a relationship with him. I wish I felt like I knew him, but I don't."

Mitchie let Caitlyn's words sink in, fear washing over her. Would her baby feel that way in sixteen years if she never let Shane know that he was a father? Would it make a difference? Would he care? Or would he try to pay her off to keep her quiet so the fact that he had a child wouldn't go public and ruin his reputation?

"Anyway," Caitlyn said, pulling Mitchie from her thoughts, "what brings you here?"

"Uh, I had something to tell you," Mitchie said, shaking her head to clear her brain of Shane. "I felt it was too important for texts over a phone call."

"What is it?" Caitlyn rubbed her still tired eyes.

"Alex and I are dating," Mitchie said, not able to stop the smile that made its way to her face, not that she wanted to.

"Get out!" Caitlyn exclaimed, suddenly very wide awake with a smile of her own creeping onto her face. "How did this happen and how long ago did it happen? Tell me everything!" She knelt, then sitting on the backs of her legs, bouncing a little with enthusiasm.

Mitchie laughed a little as she watched her friend's curls bounce along with her. "Thanksgiving. Alex invited me over, she brought me to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, we got caught up in the moment, and kissed."

"How was it?" Caitlyn interrupted.

"Completely spectacular," Mitchie said with a dreamy look on her face, her brain recalling that very special kiss. "And then we talked about our feelings and fought a little about whether or not we should be together. I told her my worries for the future, she told me we should take it day by day, told me to do what my heart told me, she asked me to be her girlfriend, I kissed her, and then said yes. And the rest is history."

"I'm so happy for you!" Caitlyn beamed, pulling her friend into a huge hug.

"Thanks." Mitchie giggled happily and pulled out of the hug. "I'm happy for me too. I have a really good feeling about this, Cay."

"That's good. You should." Caitlyn patted her hand. "You deserve this, Mitch. After what Shane did to you, you need something good in your life."

"Speaking of Shane…" Mitchie cleared her throat. "You know how he pretty much ruined sex for me?"

"Uh huh, I'd expect so." Caitlyn nodded.

"Well…" Mitchie's face started to get red. "I kind of made a fool of myself with Alex. And I'm not even sure why."

Caitlyn looked at her confusedly. "Okay, elaborate on that."

Mitchie was so embarrassed when she had to live this experience, but to relive it in order to tell it to Caitlyn? She felt like she could die right there.

"Well, Alex and I were in her room," she started. "She was rubbing my shoulders, then she started kissing my neck. It really… Attracted me. I just had an urge to kiss her. So I did. A lot."

"You made out with her?" Caitlyn asked, smirking at how prudish Mitchie could be sometimes. It was cute.

"Yes." Mitchie's face went even redder. "Caitlyn, I _wanted_ her. When Shane and I had sex, I didn't even want him as much as I wanted Alex at that moment. Actually, I didn't want him at all. It just happened."

"So when you say you wanted her…?"

"I wanted to shed every bit of her clothing from her body and fuck her silly," Mitchie said in a low, somewhat deeper voice. Her eyes were darker and distant, her mind not in bed with Caitlyn and her body, but back on Thanksgiving, in bed with Alex.

"Whoa! What the hell? Who are you, and what have you done with Mitchie?" Caitlyn stared at her, her eyes wide with fascination. Her best friend did _not_ talk like that, and she definitely didn't think those dirty thoughts.

"Sorry." Mitchie shook her head and rubbed her eyes. "See what I mean? Cay, I don't know what's gotten into me."

"A baby's gotten into you, that's what!"

"Come again?" Mitchie stared at Caitlyn like she'd lost her mind.

"Honestly, have you done no research about pregnancy?" She shook her head at her friend.

"No," Mitchie admitted.

Caitlyn sighed. "When a woman gets pregnant, her hormones are crazy. Emotions are extreme. Getting aroused takes hardly anything."

"So you're saying…"

"You wanted to jump Alex's bones because you were horny, dummy!" Caitlyn said loudly. "And it's your extra amounts of hormones causing that jump in horniness."

Mitchie's face went an intense shade of crimson. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. And you should be able to get an orgasm like that." Caitlyn snapped her fingers for emphasis.

"Okay, we're done talking about this," Mitchie said quickly, her face still burning brightly.

"Oh, you silly girl." Caitlyn laughed and put her arm around Mitchie, pulling her into her side. Mitchie buried her blushing face in Caitlyn's shoulder as her friend continued to laugh at her extremely embarrassed state.

* * *

Alex looked up from the table she was clearing when she heard the door to the restaurant open. Harper stood by the doors, wearing an outfit that was covered with leaves and fall colors on one side and fake snow and Christmas colors on the other.

"Do I even want to know?" Alex asked with a laugh, slinging her towel over her shoulder.

"It's the end of Thanksgiving and beginning of Christmas season," Harper said with a slight pout, sad that her friend didn't get the outfit she'd slaved over for an entire two weeks.

"Yeah, I don't see it. Just get over here and hug me, Crazy." Alex smiled and put down the dishes again, opening her arms.

Harper rolled her eyes but went over and hugged Alex.

"Had a good Thanksgiving?" Alex asked.

"Yeah. It was good seeing Nana Franny, but it wasn't the same as being here," Harper said a little sadly. "How was your Thanksgiving?"

"Fantastic. I think it's my new favorite holiday," Alex said, a sly smile on her face.

"I know that look." Harper pointed a suspicious finger. "What did I miss?"

Alex turned, facing the kitchen. "I'm going on lunch break, Dad!" She called. It was past one in the afternoon, so it was way overdue. "Come on," she said, grabbing Harper by the arm and pulling her to the section that was designed to look like a subway car. No one was there, so it was perfect. She went over and sat in a booth.

"Alex," Harper said excitedly as she slid into the seat across from Alex, knowing this was huge.

"Mitchie and I got together," she said happily, her face lighting up just mentioning her girlfriend's name.

"And you didn't tell me?" Harper exclaimed.

"Shh," Alex motioned for Harper to keep her voice down. "We're not telling our parents yet. And I wanted to tell you in person. And I know you're going to ask for the story, so here it is. Long story short, we watched the parade, kissed, talked, and bam, we're dating. The end."

Harper rolled her eyes. "That's a terrible story. Can I hear one with more detail, please?"

Alex sighed and shook her head. She really didn't feel like going into detail. It was all kind of a blur to her, actually. When she tried to think of it, the scene that played out most intensely in her mind was what happened between her and Mitchie in her bedroom.

The bell above the door rang, signaling someone had come in.

"Oh, look, customer," Alex said, trying to stand quickly to avoid talking to Harper about her hooking up with Mitchie more. After all, they'd kind of agreed to keep it a secret anyway.

"You're on your lunch break!" Harper frowned and grabbed Alex's arm to pull her back into the booth.

Alex looked through the windows of the fake subway car to see who was here. A familiar head of straight brown hair appeared in the middle of the sub shop. Alex smiled at recognition while Mitchie looked around, obviously looking for a particular person.

"Be right back," she said to Harper, though she didn't take her eyes off Mitchie, and pulled her arm from Harper's grasp, starting to walk away.

Harper was about to protest when she saw the look of pure bliss on Alex's face and that bright smile. She followed Alex's gaze to the restaurant, where a girl their age stood. With one look, Harper knew who this girl was. From the way Alex had described her and the way she was acting, this was−without a doubt−Mitchie. Harper smiled and shook her head, deciding to let Alex go, content to spy on them from her seat.

"Hey, you," Alex said sweetly as she walked up to Mitchie.

Mitchie turned, a smile instantly making its way to her face at the sound of Alex's voice. "Hey."

Alex walked straight up to Mitchie and wrapped her arms around Mitchie's waist, pulling the other girl close. Mitchie closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Alex's neck, pressing her mouth to Alex's shoulder. Her stomach erupted in butterflies from being that close to her girlfriend. Her heart leapt with joy also, because she hadn't seen her since Thursday, and it was Saturday. Two days was too long.

When Alex pulled out of the hug, she her smile had grown. "Come on, there's someone I want you to meet." She checked the window to the kitchen to see if her dad was looking or not. When she saw he wasn't, she took Mitchie's hand and led her to the fake subway car.

When they walked in, Harper was fumbling with a menu, trying to look like she'd been reading it the whole time instead of spying, like Alex knew she had been.

"That must be the most interesting menu in the world," Alex said with a smirk when she saw how intently Harper was looking at it. "It's not like you haven't memorized it by heart, either."

It was Harper who blushed this time as she placed the menu back in its holder. "Thought it might have something new," she lied lamely.

Alex shook her head good naturedly. "Harper, I want you to meet Mitchie. Mitchie, this is my best friend Harper."

"Hi," Mitchie said, offering Harper a smile.

"Hi, Mitchie," Harper said, returning the smile. "I've heard a lot about you, though I think maybe _not enough_." She raised her eyebrows at Alex.

_Stop it, _Alex mouthed. Harper shook her head, and Alex nodded hers, both continually doing so. Mitchie looked at them curiously. When Alex remembered Mitchie was there and saw she was looking at her, she stopped and plastered a smile on her face.

"Well…See ya in P.E.," Harper said, getting up to leave.

"We don't go to school with you," Alex pointed out.

Harper stared at them for a few moments, before exclaiming, "Bye!" And then she dashed out the door before anyone could say anything else.

"My best friend," Alex said, nodding towards the direction Harper had just fled. "Good timing, Mitch. You've caught me on my lunch break. What's up?" She sat in the booth she had been sharing with Harper previously.

Mitchie sat across from her in the spot Harper had been occupying. "I've just come from Caitlyn's. Didn't feel like going home." She shrugged. "And I wanted to see you," she added sheepishly.

"I've been wanting to see you, too." Alex smiled, reaching across the table and taking Mitchie's hands.

Mitchie smiled a little too, before dropping it. "Actually, there was something I wanted to tell you, too…"

"Okay, shoot."

"Remember how we said we were going to kind of keep us a secret?" Mitchie asked.

"That's a question, not a statement." Alex smirked. "But yeah, I remember. What about it?"

"I told Caitlyn."

"Well I just told Harper."

Mitchie smiled. "We can't keep anything from our best friends, can we?"

"Guess not." Alex laughed. "I hope that goes the same with each other."

"Oh, of course," Mitchie said. "No secrets."

"Good," Alex said with a smile. "Because I want us to be completely honest with each other. When there are secrets in relationships, things get messy."

"Yeah," Mitchie said, averting her eyes. There was a knot in her stomach as a result of the sudden guilt she felt. She'd just agreed to be completely honest with Alex, yet she couldn't bring herself to tell her who was the father of her baby.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Alex asked, squeezing Mitchie's hands.

"I was just thinking about my parents," Mitchie lied. "I think I want to tell them…Tonight. I know we sort of had plans, but I really feel this is important. Is that okay?"

"Of course," Alex said. "And maybe if they take it well, we can do something after." She smiled hopefully.

"Maybe…"

"Well, just call me or text me to let me know what's going on," Alex said.

"Alright." Mitchie nodded. "I should probably go. I don't want to keep you from doing work."

"You don't have to," Alex said. She really didn't want Mitchie to go. She didn't want to work. She just wanted to stay in that booth holding hands with her girlfriend.

"No, you need to work." Mitchie shook her head. "Plus, I'm a little tired. I think I'll go take a nap."

"Okay, but before you go…" Alex smirked and leaned across the table, placing a soft kiss on Mitchie's lips.

Mitchie reveled in the softness of Alex's lips and when Alex started to pull away, she leaned forward to keep the kiss going a little longer. Alex smiled into it but pulled away soon after. Mitchie gave her a hurt look and pouted.

"My dad," Alex said for explanation. "Don't want him to see that. Not yet, anyway. But trust me, if it was my choice, that kiss would have lasted a lot longer and have been a lot deeper." She smirked and scrunched up her nose cutely.

Mitchie blushed a little. "Fair enough."

They both stood and Alex walked Mitchie to the door.

"Remember, call or text me if you talk to them," Alex said as she held the door open for Mitchie. "Promise?"

"Promise," she said. She glanced at the kitchen and saw that Mr. Russo was busy. She quickly swooped in and kissed Alex on the cheek. "Bye." She smiled before walking out the door and onto Waverly Place.

Alex's cheeks turned pink as she closed the door after her girlfriend. In somewhat of a daze, she walked back to the table on which she'd left those dirty plates when Harper walked in.

Mitchie stayed outside the restaurant, watching Alex through the glass of the door. She seemed so happy. Mitchie's gut twisted a little. She hated herself at the moment. Here she was, with an amazing girlfriend that wanted to be completely honest with her, and she'd just lied to her. How could she keep Shane from her? She couldn't do it with a quiet conscience, that was for sure. Okay, so it wasn't lying exactly, but it was omission of information, which could be just as bad.

Alex looked up and saw Mitchie still standing outside. She smiled brightly and waved to her girlfriend. Mitchie smiled weakly and returned a meek wave, her heart bleeding.

She was scum.

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**Don't be too harsh on Mitchie. She's going through a lot right now. I feel the need to defend my character because I feel her emotions as I write her. Give her some slack. She's trying.**

**REVIEW! IT MAKES ME HAPPY!**


	22. Who's In The Closet?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place or Camp Rock.**

**Finals this week, then be prepared for mucho updates when I have nothing to do all throughout December!**

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"Can you pass the potatoes, dear?" Connie asked Steve across the table at dinner.

"Here you go," Steve said, handing the steaming bowl of mashed potatoes that had been resting near his plate to his wife.

"Thank you," Connie said, taking it and lifting the spoon, helping herself to a spoonful of her own cooking.

Mitchie sat in between her parents, staring at the bowl of salad in the center of the table. She was as pale as a ghost, her lips a thin white line as she pursed them together. Anyone would be able to tell that with her wide, frightened eyes she was looking, but not seeing. Her mind was elsewhere. This was unusual dinner etiquette for the sixteen-year-old, as was not uttering a single word, which was also happening. Her quietness did not go unnoticed by her parents.

"Mitchie, something on your mind?" her mother asked, taking her napkin and putting it on her lap.

Mitchie didn't answer, just sat there and kept staring. She had not touched her food at all. The farthest she'd gotten in the eating process was picking up her fork, but it still remained in her hand unused.

"Mitch?" her dad raised his eyebrows at his unresponsive daughter.

"What are your feelings about gay people?" Mitchie asked seemingly out of nowhere. Her parents thought it was a very random question indeed, but it had been weighing on Mitchie's mind for some time.

Steve cleared his throat and put his fork down. "Why do you ask?"

Mitchie finally tore her eyes from the salad bowl and looked up to see her parents watching her intently. "Just wondering," she said timidly.

"Well," Connie began, "I don't necessarily agree with their decisions, but I don't have anything against them."

"The Bible says homosexuality is a sin, but I'm not sure I believe that," Steve said, leaning back in his chair. He'd never discussed this with anyone before, not even his wife.

"Well if it's in the Bible, it's gotta be true," Connie said more to her husband than to Mitchie.

"But since when do you care about the Bible, Mom?" Mitchie asked. "I've never seen you read it. Not once. And the only time we've ever gone to church is when someone gets married or someone dies."

Steve pointed a finger from his daughter to his wife. "She has a point, Con."

"And besides, it's not like they choose that," Mitchie said. "They're just born that way. Were you born liking men?"

"Yes," Connie said, nodding her head. "I guess I never looked at it that way before."

"They're not really that different," Mitchie muttered, finally putting her fork to her plate, but all she did was poke at her roast with it.

"No, they're just like us, only with different preferences," Steve said.

"I guess so, yeah," Connie said. "I just don't like the way some of them put themselves out there. Then again, straight people do that too."

"Exactly." Her husband nodded his agreement. "There's good and bad in all types of social groups… If that's even the correct word."

Mitchie was a bit stunned. For people from Texas, a part of the South, which (the South) is one of the most closed-minded areas ever, this seemed to be a fairly normal conversation. Most southerners got really worked up and angry when it came to this topic. But then again, Mitchie's family wasn't a normal southern family.

"I don't think I've ever met an openly gay person that I've ever liked, though," Connie commented almost thoughtfully.

"Alex is gay," Mitchie said suddenly. As soon as she'd said it, though, she wished she hadn't. What if she didn't get up the nerve to come out to her parents? Then she'd just thrown Alex under the bus, so to speak, by outing her.

"Really?" Steve asked, raising his eyebrows.

"But she seems so normal," Connie said.

"She is normal…" Mitchie swallowed the lump her in throat that had formed under her parents' intense gazes. "She just likes girls."

"I never would have guessed," Steve commented.

"Me either," Connie said to him. "She's such a good kid."

Mitchie's head spun. Good kid? This was Alex they were talking about! Before she'd met her, Mitchie's mom had considered Alex the anti-Christ. And now she was a good kid?

"Her being gay doesn't mean she'd be bad, Mom," Mitchie said defensively. After all, this was her _girlfriend_ they were talking about.

"I didn't say she was, I just didn't expect it," Connie said quickly, realizing she'd made her daughter a bit angry. "Well, I guess I stand corrected. There is one gay person I like."

"So you don't have a problem with them, really, then?" Mitchie asked slowly, testing the waters.

"I don't." Steve shook his head. "They're fine. It's their lives, which aren't really our business."

"So you wouldn't have a problem if…" she took in a shaky breath to slow her now fast-paced beating heart, "say, I were…gay?"

Steve and Connie exchanged a glance.

"No, I suppose not," Connie said, frowning slightly because she didn't see where this was going.

"Good." Mitchie swallowed in an attempt to moisten her incredibly dry mouth. "Because I…I am."

"Are what?" Steve asked, picking up his fork again to resume eating.

"Gay." She looked back and forth between her parents. "Mom, Dad, I-I'm gay. I like g-girls."

Steve put his fork down again and stared at his daughter, like his wife was already doing. Mitchie's heart hammered in her chest as her sentence hung in the air. Her breathing was coming short and she felt like she was about to have a panic attack. It had been so easy to say, even if she'd stuttered a bit. Maybe it was the fact that she'd already outed Alex that have given her the courage to say it. Or maybe it was that since she got through telling them she was pregnant she was a little more confident. Whatever the case, she'd said it.

"I'm sorry, what?" Connie asked.

"You can't be. You… With that boy I hate… You're having his…" Steve pointed from his daughter to her stomach, unable to form full sentences. Then again, he didn't want to say the word 'sex' in a sentence that was addressed to his daughter.

"Where is this coming from?" Connie asked. "Is this because of Alex?"

"No, this has been since I was little, Mom!" Mitchie said, quick to jump to Alex's defense. "Don't blame her! Please don't! She didn't do anything wrong! There's nothing wrong with me, it's not a phase, I'm not confused, Alex hasn't corrupted me, seduced me, or anything like that! I've liked girls for as long as I can remember!"

Connie shook her head. "But what about Shane?"

"DON'T SAY HIS NAME AT MY TABLE!" Steve boomed, slamming his fists on the table. The silverware and several plates jumped, as did his family. They were stunned into silence. Steve Torres never lost his cool. When he saw his wife and daughter's stunned expressions, he cleared his throat. "I don't like him," he said quietly.

"Neither do I," Mitchie said. "I never did. That's the point. I used him. I wanted to make some girl jealous and then he used me for sex." Steve winced at the 's' word. "That's how this happened," Mitchie said, pointing to her stomach. "I lied to you before. I do know who snuck the alcohol in. It was _him_. He spiked the punch but told me it was safe. He made me feel important, made me believe I loved him, dangled that hope for a normal life in front of me, then snatched it away. I didn't want to like girls back then, but I've learned to accept it."

"And you expect us to?" Connie questioned. "Just like that? Haven't we dealt with enough?"

Mitchie flared her nostrils, making it evident that her mother's questions angered her. "Most parents don't want their kids to be gay because they think they'll never get grandkids. That's obviously not the case here, so what's your deal?"

"Mitchie Catherine Torres! Do not talk to your mother like that!" Steve said loudly. He rarely fussed at his daughter, and he hated doing it, but he would not stand for this disrespect.

"But she can talk to me like that?" Mitchie yelled and stood abruptly, her chair toppling over backwards in the process. "I do _not_ see what the big deal is! If anything, you should be happy. Most teen mothers get pregnant again within the next two years after giving birth to their first child."

"How do you know that?" Connie asked.

"Caitlyn. She's a freak and likes Lifetime movies," Mitchie said quickly. "That's not the point, though. The point is, I won't get pregnant again! With Alex, that's physically impossible."

"What do you mean 'with Alex'?" Connie asked slowly, and Mitchie froze.

_Shit, shit, shit!_ Was all her brain was able to come up with. She's completely forgotten that she had only told her parents that both she and Alex were gay, but left out the tiny detail that they were dating.

"Didn't I mention she's my girlfriend?" Mitchie asked even though she knew for a fact that she hadn't mentioned it at all.

"You certainly did not!" Connie frowned deeply at her daughter. "You kept this from us, lied to us, and then tricked us into letting your _girlfriend_ spend the night?"

"We weren't dating then! We've only been together for a few days," Mitchie said quickly, shaking her head. "I wouldn't do that!"

"I don't know what you'd do anymore, Mitchie!" Her mother stared at her as if she was seeing a stranger. "First the lying at Camp Rock, then your little screw up with Sha−" she stopped when she remembered her husband's outburst the last time she'd said her daughter's impregnator's name. "Your screw up with that boy, and now this?"

"Wow, Mom. Didn't know you thought I was a screw up," Mitchie said, venom dripping from her words. "Thanks. Really. Because I didn't feel bad enough about the entire thing already!"

"That's not what your mother meant and you know it," Steve said, pointing as his daughter.

"Really? It sounded like she meant it to me," Mitchie said. She shot daggers at her mother with her eyes before turning to walk away from the table. When she got to the part where the room switched over from kitchen to living room, she turned back for her parting shot. "Don't tell me to break up with Alex, because I won't do it. I think I'm old enough to make my own decisions. After all, I'm going to be making decisions for someone else other than myself soon enough. And I need Alex now. She's the one thing that makes me feel like I'm actually worth something anymore, especially since you don't." She directed the last part at her mother, and before she could get a response, she turned on her heel and marched straight to her room.

Once inside, she slammed the door behind her. The first thing she did next was grabbed her phone off her bed and opened a text message to Alex.

_I need you_, she typed out before hitting the 'send' button.

She stood in the center of her room and waited, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths to try to calm herself down. After a few moments, she felt a warm pair of arms wrap around her waist, pulling her into a body that molded with her own perfectly.

Mitchie wrapped her arms around Alex's neck, bringing a hand up and tangling it in her dark, raven hair while the other grabbed at the fabric of Alex's baby blue t-shirt, balling it in her fist.

"Another plus to you being a wizard other than the totally awesome magic carpet, you can pop into my room any time I need you," she said before burying her face in her girlfriend's neck.

"I'm guessing they didn't take it well?" Alex asked, rubbing the small of Mitchie's back with her hands in soothing circles.

"Not at all," Mitchie muttered, her breath tickling the skin of Alex's neck and causing the Latino girl to shudder pleasantly. Mitchie smirked a little, loving the effect she had on the tough, yet sensitive Alex Russo.

"What happened?" Alex asked.

Mitchie picked her head up from Alex's neck and shook it. "Not yet. Just hold me right now. Please?"

"Okay," Alex said softly while nodding, understanding. "Come on." She removed her arms from Mitchie's waist, took her by the hand, and led her to the bed. She kicked her shoes off and lay down on Mitchie's bed, pulling her girlfriend with her.

Mitchie rested her head on Alex's chest, above her breasts, her arm snaking around Alex's waist almost instantly. As Alex's arms encircled her body, she closed her eyes, suddenly feeling very tired. She wanted to thank Alex for getting there so quickly, for caring so much, for being perfect…But she didn't get the chance, falling asleep almost instantly.

Alex smirked and kissed the top of Mitchie's head when she saw her girlfriend had fallen into slumber. She tightened her grip on the other girl, genuinely happy to have such a wonderful person in her arms. All her life, Alex never wanted to be taken care of. She always wanted someone to care for, which is why she'd become friends with Harper. Harper was weird in elementary school (not that she wasn't still weird, it was just worse when they were children) and got picked on severely. Then she and Alex became friends because they both snored during nap time and had to sleep in a separate room. After that, anytime Harper was tormented, Alex stepped in and fought for her. That's how their friendship worked. But Alex always longed for something deeper. She'd seen all of these movies with the 'perfect' boyfriends that did the sweetest things for their girlfriends and couldn't help wanting to do that for someone, for some girl because a boy would never appreciate it and she had no desire to take care of a boy. When she figured out she was gay, it made so much more sense. Her desire and need to be a caretaker came from her hormones and sexual desires.

And now, with Mitchie in her arms, she finally felt she was fulfilling her potential to be the girlfriend she'd always wanted to be to someone. She was a terrible girlfriend to her boyfriends, feeling like they should have been doing stuff for her and knowing just what to say, but they never did. Boys were clueless. This was her chance to treat this amazing girl how she felt she should be treated, how she thought her boyfriends should have treated her.

"I'm going to be so good to you, Mitchie," Alex said softly, gazing upon the sleeping girl's pretty face. She smiled and tucked a strand of Mitchie's hair behind her ear.

_Knock, knock._

"Mitchie?" Came Connie Torres' muffled voice from behind Mitchie's door.

Alex's heart thudded against her ribcage with fear. She shook her sleeping girlfriend. "Mitchie!" she whisper-yelled. "Mitchie, wake up!"

"Huh?" Mitchie stirred, rubbing her eyes.

"Your mom's outside your door," Alex said, her eyes wide with fright.

Mitchie sat straight up, her eyes going wide as well as fear spread through her body. "You need to hide!"

"Where?" Alex asked, looking around. "Wait. I'm a wizard, duh." She almost chuckled at herself.

_KNOCK, KNOCK. _

"Mitchie! Open this door!" This was Mitchie's dad.

"Just go," Mitchie told Alex urgently.

Alex slipped her wand from her pants and twirled it around her head. Mitchie was about to call to her parents to come in when she heard a noise that sounded like something in her closet fell.

"Ow!" Alex said from within the closet.

"Really, Alex? The closet? Out of all the hiding spots in the universe, you choose my closet?" Mitchie rolled her eyes at her Alex's poor choice, but almost had to laugh at the fact that her girlfriend was _in the closet, _especially given the circumstances.

"Mitchie, if you don't open this door right now−" Her mother's threat was never finished because Mitchie had gotten up and swung the door open.

"It was unlocked the whole time," she said with raised eyebrows.

"Then why didn't you open the door when we first knocked?" her mother asked suspiciously.

"I was taking a nap," Mitchie said. Her eyes were still red with sleep, so her parents believed her. "I've been doing that a lot lately. I'm always tired."

"That's because of the baby," Connie said, glancing at her daughter's stomach.

"I figured that," Mitchie said, looking at her parents expectantly. "Well?"

"May we come in?" Steve asked softly.

Mitchie looked over her shoulder at the closet, silently apologizing to Alex. She turned her attention back to her parents. "Sure." She went over and sat cross-legged on her bed, waiting for the yelling to start.

Steve and Connie entered cautiously. They stood in the center of Mitchie's tiny room, each waiting for the other to start. Finally, Steve spoke up.

"We don't appreciate the way you spoke to us at dinner," he said. "It was rude and very much not like you, but we understand why you did so."

"I know you hate feeling like no one's listening to you and how much you hate not being accepted," Connie said. "And I can see how you took tonight's conversation like that. I'm sorry if I upset you. I also know that your pregnancy is affecting your emotions right now, which could be the cause of your outburst, which was very unlike you. So it will be excused."

"But you can't use that as an excuse all the time, so next time you speak to us that way, we're not going to be so lenient," Steve said. Mitchie just sat there and listened calmly. "We've done a lot for you considering the situation, a lot more than most parents would do. We'd just like some respect."

"Okay," she said quietly, knowing he was right. They deserved it.

"And while we agree that yes, you are very mature for your age and you are taking on a lot more responsibility than most kids your age, you still are a kid yourself. And we're your parents," Mrs. Torres said, her eyes glassy, showing her inner pain for having to admit that her only child was growing up. "You're going to need us in the next few months, and even years to come. You can't do this alone. You're not prepared to raise this child by yourself. Not yet."

"I know," Mitchie said quietly. "But I don't want to have to depend on you forever. This is my life, my mess. I want to take care of my baby myself."

"And we think you should too, but you will need our help," Connie said. "But yes, if you think you're capable of making your own decisions, then let's test just how responsible you can be."

"Pardon?" Mitchie raised her eyebrows at her parents.

"We want you to get a job," Steve explained. "We're going to pay doctor bills and everything, but since this is _your_ baby and you want to be responsible for yourself and him or her, the first step in doing that is making your own money. It's not like you haven't had a job before. You know how to juggle school and work. Start doing that again. Save some money. Eventually you're going to have to put a child through school. That's not cheap."

"Okay," Mitchie said, standing from her bed. "I can do that."

"_A-choo!"_

A sudden sneeze made all three of them jump. Mitchie grabbed her noise as her parents looked back and forth between the closet and their daughter. She removed her hand from her nose and sniffed.

"Excuse me," she said, pretending that she'd been the one who sneezed.

"Bless you," Connie said dully, narrowing her eyes at her daughter.

"Now about this Alex thing…" Steve continued the conversation, forgetting the sneeze and completely believing it had been his daughter who'd make the noise.

"What about her?" Mitchie's eyes darted to her closet door, then back to her parents.

"First of all, does she have any idea what she's getting herself into by getting involved in a relationship with you?" Connie asked. "Does she realize the risks?"

"Yes, Mom," Mitchie said while crossing her arms over her chest. "We've talked about it. A lot. She knows. And we both know it's a risk. But Mom, Dad… She makes me so happy. We've only been dating since Thursday and I've only known her for a few months, but it feels like so much longer."

"When's her birthday?" Steve asked, testing her.

Mitchie's eyes went wide as she realized she didn't know the answer to this question. Then, as if she'd been listening to headphones, she heard it. It was Alex's voice, ringing clearly in her head.

_December__fifteenth_, her voice said.

Mitchie wasn't sure what had just happened, but she repeated the date anyway. "December the fifteenth."

Steve seemed satisfied by this, but Connie frowned.

"Mitchie, are you sure?" she asked. "Are you absolutely certain you're a lesbian?"

"If not that, I'm at least bisexual," she said, her shoulders rising in an apologetic shrug.

Steve shuddered. "Don't say words like that."

Mitchie looked at her father as if to say _Really?_ and shook her head.

"Mitchie, I don't understand this. You liked−" she glanced at her husband, "You-Know-Who so much."

"I told you, I used him," Mitchie said quietly, looking at her mother sadly. She couldn't even imagine how confusing this was for her. "I liked Tess. And she wanted him, so I went after him to make her jealous. And then he paid all this attention to me, made me feel special. I did not want to like girls back then, which is another reason I attached myself to him so much. And then I thought 'hey, I could be normal if I'm with him.' But that wasn't what happened. I guess normal just isn't meant to be for me."

"Of course it isn't, Mitchie," Connie said, stepping forward and taking her daughter's face in her hands. "You're too special to be normal. You're so talented and intelligent. I think you can go really far with music. But I know that homosexuality is not exactly looked upon in a positive light all the time. I think it's something that could make you or break you. It could hold you back or give you that unique edge needed to give you that extra boost. And Mitchie, I know you. You hate being hated. The career you want with the sexuality you have is not a good mix."

"I understand that, Mom," Mitchie said. "But I'm strong. I can take a lot more criticism now that I've gone to Camp Rock. Not being loved is not going to kill me. If that were the case, I'd be dead already. And I don't know if I'll ever even get to create a demo."

"You will," Steve said, walking over to stand closer to his wife and daughter. "You're too good not to."

"Thanks." She smiled a little through the tears that were now forming in her eyes. "And I mean what I said earlier. Don't blame Alex. She didn't do anything. In fact, she didn't want this life for me. She tried to convince me I was going through a phase. But I'm not. I've known since I was seven years old." She took a deep breath. "And please don't hate her. She's so good to me, guys. You've met her already. You know how sweet she is."

"We don't hate Alex," Connie said with a sigh. "We don't think it's the best situation, but we're not going to tell you what to do. And we don't hate you either, Mitchie. You know that, right? No matter what you do. We may not agree with every decision and it may be harder to accept some things, may take longer to come around, but we'll always love you no matter what."

"And when you bring Alex around here," Steve started, "no displays of affections, please. I can handle you being together, but that doesn't mean I want to see it."

"And no more sleepovers," Connie said sternly. "That's inappropriate."

"What if we leave the door open?" Mitchie asked quickly.

"No." Steve shook his head.

"If she sleeps on the couch?" Mitchie asked hopefully.

In her head, she heard Alex scream _Hey_! _What makes you think I want to sleep on the couch?_! She almost laughed at this.

"Mitchie…"

"Please?"

Connie sighed. "We'll think about it. For now, though, the answer is no, and leave it at that." She shook her head and looked at the ground, spotting a navy blue pair of Converse sneakers. "Whose are these?" she asked, bending down to pick them up. "They're not yours. Yours are black."

Mitchie's heart nearly stopped when she realized the shoes her mother was holding were Alex's. "Uh…" She glanced at her closet again. "They're Alex's. She let me borrow them."

"These aren't even your size," Connie said, holding out the tongue of the sneaker, revealing they were a size too big for her daughter.

"Oh well," Mitchie said. "I'll just have give them back to her for school tomorrow." She grabbed the shoes from her mother's hands and glanced at the closet again.

This time, her glance did not go unnoticed by her parents.

Steve looked at her suspiciously. "Is there someone in there, Mitchie?"

"No." Mitchie shook her head quickly.

Steve stared at his scared-looking daughter for a few more seconds before crossing the small room and opening the closet door in one fluid motion. Mitchie closed her eyes, waiting for him to start yelling at her. But the yelling didn't come. She opened an eye to see him looking in the dark, small space. When she opened her other eye, Steve looked back at his wife and daughter.

"There's no one in here," he said, gesturing to the closet.

Mitchie took a step closer to look for herself, somewhat shocked. Then she remembered that her girlfriend was a wizard.

"Of course there isn't," she said, letting out the breath she'd been holding. "How could I sneak someone in when we're this high up? Besides, I wouldn't do that."

As her mother went over to look at the closet herself, Mitchie went to place Alex's shoes on her bed for when she returned. She glanced out the window, then did a double take. She had to stop herself from gasping in surprise.

On the roof of the building across the street stood a shivering Alex. If it hadn't been for the street light right next to the building, Mitchie would never have been able to see her in the dark. She gave her cold girlfriend a _What the hell? _look. Alex responded by unfolding her arms from her chest and holding them up in the air in a shrug, as if to say 'What did you want me to do?'

Mitchie was about to shake her head at her very silly girlfriend when she saw Alex's expression change to one of slight fear. Before Mitchie could even wonder what that expression was about, Alex dove onto the surface of the roof, out of sight because of the ledge.

Confused, Mitchie turned around, nearly jumping when she saw her mother had been standing behind her.

"Are you okay?" Connie asked, taking note of Mitchie's almost frantic expression.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I'm just really tired," she said. "I think I'll go to bed. I know it's only like eight, but Baby and I need our rest." She patted her stomach gently.

"Okay," Connie said, thinking her daughter was acting rather weirdly but deciding not to push the matter further. "Steve, come on. Let's go clean the kitchen and let Mitchie sleep."

"Night," Mitchie said as each of her parents took turns kissing her on the cheek. "Love you." She smiled and waved at the as they closed the door.

After a few seconds of making sure they'd actually walked away, Mitchie turned to look out the window again. No sooner had she looked had Alex's head popped back into sight.

_Come here_ Mitchie mouthed, pointing to the ground in front of her.

She crossed the room to lock her door and before she even turned around, she heard teeth chattering. She returned to her bed, which now had a very cold Alex in it.

"So…C-c-cold!" Alex said, diving under Mitchie's covers.

Mitchie smiled and shook her head, crawling under the covers next to Alex.

"Warmth!" Alex cried, flinging her arms around Mitchie. She placed her face in the crook of Mitchie's neck, pressing her cold nose against her skin.

Mitchie had to bite her lip to stop herself from shrieking, afraid her parents would hear. "Alex!" she giggled. "You big silly! Why did you pick the closet as your hiding spot? You could have gone home and I could have texted you when they left."

"I wasn't thinking," Alex said, leaning back and making Mitchie lie down with her.

"And why did you pick across the street on that roof?"

"Once again, wasn't thinking," she said.

Mitchie shook her head and smirked. "You big dork."

"I resent that," she said, looking at Mitchie. "I'm not a dork. I'm a loser. Get it right."

"Oh, I'm _sooo _sorry!" Mitchie smiled.

"You should be. I think you owe me kisses." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"I owe you nothing," Mitchie said with a small laugh. "But you can have one."

She leaned her head in closer and placed a soft, gentle kiss on Alex's smooth, silky lips. Licking her own lips when she pulled away, Mitchie noticed the other girl's lips tasted like strawberries. She _loved _strawberries.

"I love kissing you," Mitchie commented.

"Am I your best kiss?" Alex smirked smugly.

Mitchie playfully shoved her girlfriend away and scooted father along the bed. "Shut up."

"Come back, you're warm!" Alex reached for Mitchie.

"I think you've warmed up, but go ahead." Mitchie smiled as Alex wrapped her arms around her again. "Hey, how did you do that telepathy thing?"

"Telepathy thing?" Alex furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Yeah, when I heard your voice in my head."

Realization dawned on Alex. "Oh! Is that what that's called? I didn't know that." She smirked. "It's just a simple spell. I used it all the time in school. It kind of connects our thoughts. I can hear yours, you can hear mine. I loved using it to mess with Justin's dorky friend Zeke."

"Have you ever used it to read my mind any other time than today?" Mitchie asked suspiciously, remembering the first day she met Alex, afraid the other girl was reading her mind. Turns out she could have been the whole time.

"No." Alex shook her head. "I only use my powers for good, not evil."

"Nice to know, Wonder Woman." Mitchie smiled and kissed Alex on the cheek, soon after resettling into her girlfriend's loving embrace.

They sat in silence for a few moments, just holding each other and enjoying one another's company.

While they sat, each got lost in her own thoughts. Alex couldn't stop thinking about Mitchie and her baby and who could possibly be responsible for all of this. She wanted to know. She said she'd wait until Mitchie was ready to tell her, but she was dying.

Slowly, Alex turned her head to look at Mitchie. Mitchie met her gaze, giving her a light smile. Alex took in a breath. She knew better than to ask from a past experience, but she couldn't stop herself. She _had_ to know.

"So your baby daddy is Voldemort, huh?" she asked playfully, just to make the tone light before she went in for the real question.

"What?" Mitchie looked at her like she was crazy.

"Your mom said 'You-Know-Who' when talking about the guy that did this to you." She rubbed her hand over Mitchie's ever-growing stomach gently. "I didn't know Voldemort went to Camp Rock."

"Ha, ha. Very funny." Mitchie shook her head. "No, my dad just gets mad when we say is name."

This was it. The set up was perfect. Alex took a deep breath. "What _is_ his name?" she asked gently, praying Mitchie wouldn't get mad at her for asking.

Her girlfriend asking about the father of her unborn child, the one she'd been keeping hidden, made her gut twist unpleasantly. She'd felt terrible about hiding it, but could Alex handle the truth? That she'd slept with one of the most popular pop stars out there at the moment?

"What's his name, Mitchie?" she asked again softly, holding the other girl's chocolaty brown gaze.

"Shane," Mitchie said without hesitation this time and without looking away. "His name is Shane."

This was enough for Alex. She didn't need a last name. First name would suffice. At least now she knew whom to curse and wish bad things upon.

"I hate Shane," Alex said simply.

Mitchie's heart swelled. Alex wasn't going to push her for a last name she wasn't even sure she ever wanted to reveal. She just wanted to know to whom to direct her anger. Alex didn't even know Shane, but she hated him. And Mitchie knew it was because of what he did to her. Alex cared about her that much. She hated Shane, and that made Mitchie fall for Alex a little bit more.

"Me too, Alex," Mitchie said softly. "Me too."

_**

* * *

**_

**I don't care if Selena's birthday is in July. Alex is not Selena. Selena is a person, Alex is a character. And Alex's birthday is in December. Deal with it. It makes the story work better for me.**

**Question: What would be a good Mitchie/Alex couple name? Malex is taken by Alex/Mason. So what? I'm leaning towards Mitchex, Atchie, Matchie, Milex, or something like that. Tell me what you think. Tell me which one of mine you like, or tell me your own that you've come up with.**

**Review!**


	23. Job Hunt

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place or Camp Rock.**

**Get ready for (hopefully) an insane amount of updates from me this month. I don't have much to do considering it's Christmas break and I have over a month off. I may be sending my computer off to get fixed because some buttons are broken, but I'll use my mom's computer, so no worries.**

* * *

"What about dog walker?" Mitchie asked Alex, not taking her eyes off the newspaper in front of her.

"It involves exercise," Alex said as she walked back behind the counter of the sub shop, handing her father the dirty dishes from table seven through the window. "With your condition, I don't think that'd be good." She leaned across the counter to look at the section Mitchie was reading.

There were red circles and X's all over the page where Mitchie had either decided she wanted a job or didn't. She and Alex had been looking for a job for her for a week already. They'd been looking in all of the papers New York City had to offer. A stack sat beside Mitchie on the counter. This was a daily thing. They'd started this Monday last, and it was now Monday yet again (meaning they'd been dating for a week and four days, but who was counting?). After Justin finished their lessons, they'd head over to the sub shop and Alex would do her shifts while Mitchie searched the 'Wanted' sections. This allowed them to spend time together while still being productive. Although, it had gotten old the first day, so Mitchie had just started skimming through the jobs, then read the articles.

"What about that one?" Alex asked, pointing to one Mitchie hadn't crossed off yet.

"That's an ad for a stripper, Alex!" Mitchie exclaimed, staring at her girlfriend in disbelief.

Alex checked over her shoulder to see if her father was busy, then leaned in close to Mitchie. "I'd hire you and pay good money," she said quietly and seductively, scanning every inch of Mitchie she could see over the counter.

Mitchie picked up one of the rolled up newspapers beside her and smacked Alex over the head, not hard, but enough to get her attention.

"Ow!" Alex exclaimed even though she wasn't in any pain and rubbed the top of her head where Mitchie had hit her, laughing slightly. "What was that for?"

"My eyes are up here," Mitchie said, pointing to her face and trying to look serious. After about ten seconds, however, she started laughing as well.

"It was a compliment," Alex said, calming down a little.

"Just get back to work, you," Mitchie said, jutting her thumb over her shoulder to the tables.

"I don't wanna," Alex whined, frowning.

"Go!" Mitchie ordered, smirking at her silly girlfriend.

"Fine," Alex grumbled, walking around to the other side of the counter, standing next to Mitchie. She picked up a few straws from the container on the counter, restocking her apron pockets so she could have them handy if a customer asked for one.

Mitchie, not even looking away from her paper, reached down and smacked Alex solidly on the bottom. Alex jumped, throwing a few straws in the air. Her cheeks burning bright red, she looked at Mitchie, who was reading that damned paper again, feigning innocence. She started laughing, but Mitchie didn't even crack a grin. Shaking her head, Alex bent down and picked up the straws she'd dropped, putting them in the front pocket of her apron (they were still usable since they still had the paper on them). When she stood up again, she leaned close into Mitchie's ear.

"I'm gonna get you for that," she said right before walking away.

Mitchie, unable to contain herself anymore, started giggling and pulled the newspaper to her face, hiding her glee from the world. Messing with Alex was fun. She could get used to it…

**

* * *

**

Fifteen minutes passed, and Alex had hardly stopped. Her mother was at the mall Christmas shopping, Justin was off monster hunting, and Max had to stay after school for tutoring because his grades had just gotten too hopeless and Justin didn't have time to tutor him at home. Alex had to work this shift all on her own, and it was Hell. While her father was making sandwiches, she was delivering them, clearing tables, and running the register. Right after school let out was always a rush hour because the hungry high school students came in. Alex hated them most. She didn't associate with them in school, she surely didn't want them in her dwelling, especially since she wasn't forced to deal with them now that she didn't go to Tribeca anymore.

"This is a nightmare," Alex said as she collapsed over the register after she'd finished with the last customer in a line six people deep. When she picked her head up and saw three more tables of annoying teenagers waving her over, she groaned. She was just about to go over to the closest table when two more people got up from their seats and started heading toward the register. "Come on!" she muttered, just loudly enough for Mitchie to hear it.

"Check these people out, I'll go see what those tables need," Mitchie told her distressed girlfriend while standing from her stool.

Alex didn't have time to protest or even say 'thank you' before Mitchie walked over to a table with three guys that looked around her age. They all brightened up and stopped slouching when they saw her walk over instead of Alex. They must have known her from school. Mitchie didn't like their obvious distaste for her girlfriend, but put on a smile anyway.

"Can I get you guys anything?"

"Refill," the guy in the middle said, holding up his glass. He grinned at her, showing off white teeth. Mitchie internally sighed. He, with his neatly cut brown hair and letterman jacket, was probably a good catch, but he was wasting his time.

"All of you want refills?" she asked the other two sitting with him. They were wearing letterman jackets as well. One had on a backwards blue baseball cap while the other had shaggy blond hair. Both boys nodded. "What were you drinking?"

"Coke," said the one with the cap. "All of us were."

"Be right back." She gave them one last smile, letting it slip off as soon as she turned around. She could feel their eyes burning into her backside. As she walked back, she could see Alex glaring at them as she handed some scared looking customer his change. "Which one's the Coke?" Mitchie asked, pointing to the clear, plastic pitchers that lined the countertop.

"The one closest to me," Alex said as she took a sales slip from someone, ringing up the order. As Mitchie got closer to the counter and reached for the pitcher, Alex grabbed her arm, pulling her a little closer and leaning so she could talk lower. "They're checking out your ass, you know," she said quietly, very aware of the customer standing in front of the register that could hear everything they were saying.

Mitchie rolled her eyes. "I know. They're creeping me out."

Satisfied with this answer, Alex released Mitchie's arm and stood up straight again, going back to typing on the keys of the register.

Mitchie walked back to the table of hormonal teenage boys, careful not to bend over too much to give them a better view of her boobs, which had gotten larger since she'd gotten pregnant.

"Anything else?" she asked, praying they'd let her go.

"Haven't seen you around," the brown-haired one said, leaning back in his chair. "You don't go to Tribeca, do you?"

"No, I'm homeschooled," Mitchie said. "Well, if that's everything I'm just going to−"

"If you're homeschooled, you can't know many guys," the blond boy interrupted, grinning to show a mouthful of braces.

Mitchie grimaced a little, but tried not to let it show. "No, I can't say that I do."

"So then you mustn't have a boyfriend," the one with the baseball cap said, grinning as well.

What was it with these guys? She couldn't fathom being hit on by one guy, but three? At one time? Wasn't there some kind of guy code that you couldn't all go after the same girl and especially not right in front of each other? Mitchie grinded her teeth, trying to make her anger subside a little before answering, but it didn't work. She felt harassed, and that wasn't okay.

"No, actually. I have a girlfriend, and if you hit on me again, she'll kick all of your asses. Got it?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at them. They all stared at her, wide-eyed while nodding their heads. Their smiles were completely gone. "Good!"

She put the pitcher down on the table then turned on her heel and went straight to the back, where she knew there was a bathroom. Her jaw was set tight and her hands were balled into fists. She was not okay.

Alex saw the interaction between Mitchie and the muscle-brained bozos from the football team, then watched as her girlfriend made a beeline for the bathroom. She knew she had duties and responsibilities and a job to do, but Mitchie was more important.

"One second." She held up her index finger to the customer she was waiting on, and followed her girlfriend into the bathroom.

When Alex got in there, Mitchie was standing over the sink, splashing water on her face. Alex went over and put a hand on the other girl's shoulder.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked softly.

"No," Mitchie said, lifting her still dripping face. "I was just a complete bitch to that table of guys, and they didn't really do anything wrong. They were hitting on me, yes, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was when I was standing right in front of them. I just flipped on them. I know it's my hormones making me do this crazy stuff, but I can only use that as an excuse so much."

"What did they say?" Alex said, her body flooding with jealousy. Alex was a very territorial person. She didn't like the way those guys had been staring at Mitchie. She was _hers_ and no dumb jocks were going to get any idea that they could take her. Just knowing what they could be thinking about _her _Mitchie while they'd stared at her butt made her sick.

"They just said they hadn't seen me before and asked me if I had a boyfriend." Mitchie shrugged, wiping her damp cheek with her sleeve. "It was no big deal, but I told them if they hit on me again, my girlfriend would kick their asses."

Alex snorted. "You're already starting to sic me on people?" She grinned and shook her head. "Well, I'd gladly kick their asses for you, Love." She reached up and wiped Mitchie's other cheek dry, brushing her soft finger across her skin.

Mitchie smiled and leaned into Alex's touch. "Thanks. I know you would."

"And don't be mad at yourself for your hormones," Alex said seriously, dropping her hand. "You can't control them."

Mitchie sighed a little. "I know. I'm over it, I guess."

"Good. Do you feel a little better now?"

"Yeah," Mitchie said, nodding slightly. "But I think I know something that could help me feel _a lot_ better."

Alex smirked. "What's that?" she asked, even though she had a pretty good clue what Mitchie wanted.

Mitchie grabbed the front of Alex's shirt and pulled her close, pressing their chests together. "Kiss me," she breathed, blowing cool air across Alex's lips.

"That," Alex murmured, "I can do."

She lifted her hand, putting it on the back of Mitchie's neck and pulling the other girl's lips to her. She kissed her gently first, only to deepen the kiss a few moments later, her fingers curling around strands of Mitchie's brown hair. Ever so slowly, she pulled away. Mitchie's eyes were still closed, causing Alex to smirk.

"Come on," she said, removing her hand from Mitchie's neck. "I have to get back to work before my dad kills me for leaving the restaurant unattended."

"Can you check to see if those guys are still there?" Mitchie asked sheepishly. "And if they still are, leave me here and come get me later."

Alex laughed a little, but poked her head out the door anyway. To her surprise, chaos was not ensuing. The customers at the tables seemed pretty annoyed, but there wasn't an insanely long line at the register, which now had a very familiar red head standing behind it. In fact, there was only one person left in line, and he was paying. It was one of the guys from Mitchie's table, the one with that stupid baseball cap. Like, seriously, who still wore backwards baseball caps? Only tools, that's who.

"Looks like they're leaving now," Alex told Mitchie.

"Without paying?" Mitchie asked. "Shouldn't you stop them?"

"Oh, they're paying." Alex pulled her head back into the bathroom. "Harper's manning register."

Mitchie blinked a few times. "What? When did she get here?"

"My guess is some time after we came in here," Alex said. "Come on, let's get back out there."

She smoothed down her apron before pushing the bathroom door open and walking back into the restaurant, Mitchie following. When they started to approach, Harper looked up. She was still wearing her cheerleading uniform, so she had clearly just come from practice.

"There you are!" Harper exclaimed. "I come in and you're nowhere in sight and there's a line nearly ten people long!"

"Ya know, it's always weird seeing you in something normal," Alex said, gesturing to the uniform.

"Don't change the subject!" Harper snapped, swatting Alex's hand away as she tried to poke her in the side. "Just go wait on those tables before you lose your customers! I'll do register." Register was the only thing Harper had been good at when she'd worked in the sub shop a few years earlier, which had been a total disaster.

"Thanks, Harper," Alex said with a smile. She patted Mitchie's shoulder gently and gave her a wink before walking off to the nearest table.

"You cheer, Harper?" Mitchie asked, sitting on her stool again and picking up her red pen to get back to the wanted ads.

"Yup." Harper nodded. "I'm co-captain this year," she said proudly.

"I cheered with her last year," Alex said, coming back to get the pitcher of water. "Stupid Justin," she grumbled before walking off again.

"What did Justin do?" Mitchie asked Harper curiously.

"Forced her into trying out," Harper said, leaning her elbows on the counter.

"How'd he do that?"

"Magic," Alex whispered in her ear, leaning in close so that her front was pressed against Mitchie's back. She reached over and placed the pitcher of water back on the counter, leaning into Mitchie more. She rested her chin on Mitchie's shoulder and looked at the newspaper on the counter. "Any luck?"

"None at all," Mitchie said. "But I hadn't started looking again, so that may be why…"

"What are you doing?" Harper asked, trying to read the paper upside down. "Wanted ads? Are you looking for a job, Mitchie?"

"Yeah, my parents want me to get one," she said, bringing her hand up to absentmindedly pat the side of Alex's head affectionately.

"Uh…guys…" Harper spread her arms out wide, gesturing to the whole restaurant. "Why doesn't Mitchie just work _here_ ? You could spend time together and work all at the same time!"

"That's a great idea!" Alex exclaimed enthusiastically. She lifted her head and swatted Mitchie's shoulder very lightly. "Why didn't we think of that?"

"I don't know if that would be a good thing, Alex," Mitchie said, causing Alex's smile to drop.

"Why not?" she asked, her heart rate increasing. Was Mitchie getting sick of her already? Maybe she didn't want to spend that much time together.

As if reading her mind, Mitchie said quickly, "It's not that I don't love being with you, I do! That's not it! It's just…" She looked at her lap. "You saw the way I acted towards those guys. Me dealing with people probably isn't the best thing."

"That was a fluke!" Alex said naively. "I doubt you'd do it again!"

"Do you really want to take that chance?" Mitchie asked quietly.

Alex took Mitchie's hands in her own and looked into her soft brown eyes. "I really do. If it means I get to spend more time with you, then yes."

"Excuse me! Miss!" a customer yelled, waving to get Alex's attention.

"I'll go," Harper said quickly, rushing over to the table.

"Don't spill anything!" Alex called after her retreating friend, knowing how clumsy she'd been when she used to work in the sub shop. She looked at Mitchie again. "Please? If you worked somewhere else, we would only get to see each other for school, and that's no fun. Just let me ask my dad."

Mitchie stared at her girlfriend, who was practically begging with her eyes. Alex was so adorable when she pouted like that. Okay, why was she objecting to spending more time with Alex? She forgot her reason.

"Alright, ask him." Mitchie smiled, giving Alex's hands a squeeze.

"Yes!" Alex said triumphantly, letting going of Mitchie's hands and running around to the other side of the counter. "Hey, Dad, can you come out here?" she yelled through the window.

"Alex, right now?" Mitchie asked.

"It'll be a lot harder for him to say no with you sitting right there," Alex said with a shrug.

The door to the kitchen swung open, Jerry Russo walking out with mustard stains down the front of his apron, as usual. If he didn't wear that apron, all of his clothes would be ruined the first time he wore them.

"What is it, Alex?" Jerry asked. "Make it quick. I have three more orders I have to make."

"Four," Harper corrected, walking up with an order written on a slip of paper. She hung it with the rest of the orders. "More on the way," she said, walking back to get the rest.

"Okay, I'll cut to the chase," Alex said. "Mitchie's parents are making her get a job. We're shorthanded since Max has tutoring after school now, and even when Mom is here, things are still chaotic. The solution? Hire Mitchie!" She finished by gesturing towards Mitchie with both hands.

"I don't know, Alex," Jerry said, rubbing his chin and thinking about having to pay another employee. He'd hated to start paying Alex and loved that Max and Theresa worked for free.

"Come on, Dad!" Alex said. "Look at this place! It's crazy after school and at dinner and lunch rushes since you made Max pass out those flyers at school. We could use the extra help."

"Yeah, it is crazy," Jerry admitted. "And so why are you not working right now, young lady?" he asked his daughter sternly, putting his hands on his hips.

"Because I'm talking to you, duh!" Alex rolled her eyes.

"Two more," Harper said, walking back with another set of orders.

Jerry sighed and turned to Mitchie. "Do you have any experience in the food service industry?"

"I worked at a burger stand back home," Mitchie said.

"See?" Alex said. "She has experience. And we can teach her how to use the register so she could sit instead of stand the whole time." She thought this was good thinking on her part. She didn't want her _pregnant_ girlfriend on her feet the whole time, after all.

"I already know how to run a register," Mitchie said. "That's what they started me on at Barney's Burgers."

"Even better!" Alex smiled.

Jerry thought about it for a little while. He really didn't want to have to pay someone else, but they did need more workers. Max was incompetent and Theresa usually shopped all through December. And by shopping, he meant she went to the mall to say she was shopping but really went to avoid the rushes, which she hated with a passion. Plus, he really liked Mitchie. If Alex's improvements were a result of this girl, then maybe they should work together.

"You're hired, I guess," Jerry said.

When he wasn't looking, Alex thrust her fist triumphantly in the air.

"Thanks, Mr. Russo," Mitchie said, smiling appreciatively.

Suddenly, there was a series of loud crashes, followed by an eerie silence. Looking over, Alex, Mitchie, and Mr. Russo saw that Harper, who had been carrying a tray full of dirty dishes, had tripped over her shoelace, which sent the plates crashing to the floor, where they shattered.

"Why is Harper helping?" Jerry asked Alex angrily.

"Because you hadn't hired Mitchie yet, and we were shorthanded," she said with an innocent smile. "Harper, stop helping!" she yelled at her friend who had started to pick up the broken pieces of plate. Harper shrugged and dropped the pieces again. "Well, okay, finish cleaning that up 'cause I don't wanna do it, but then stop helping!"

Jerry shook his head. "Can you start now?" he asked Mitchie.

"Sure." Mitchie nodded, standing from her stool. She picked it up and brought it behind the register, taking a seat.

"Good luck." Jerry patted his new employee on the shoulder and returned to the kitchen.

"This is gonna be fun," Alex said with a smile when the kitchen door had swung closed. "But we're gonna have to cool it with the on head on shoulder, holding hands," she added quietly, "and especially _ass smacking_."

Mitchie blushed slightly, trying to hide her smirk. "Hey, quit fussing me. Get back to work. We have jobs to do."

**

* * *

**

"Thanks for not getting mad that I didn't want to go on the subway," Mitchie said shyly.

"Anything for you," Alex said, reaching out to take Mitchie's hand, intertwining their fingers.

Mitchie smiled, loving the way Alex's hand felt in hers. They continued to walk in silence, just enjoying each other's presence. It was a nice night. The stars shone above, and Christmas hung in the air, though it was only early December.

"I hate walking at night," Mitchie said, a little anxious because it was so dark.

"Good thing we're almost there then," Alex said. "Scared?" She smirked at her girlfriend.

"A little," Mitchie admitted. "But having you here with me makes me feel more secure." She leaned over and placed a sweet kiss on Alex's cheek. "And the can of pepper spray in my purse helps, too."

"Isn't it illegal for civilians to carry that?" Alex asked, her cheeks still pink from the blush that had crept there when Mitchie kissed her.

"Probably," Mitchie said. "I don't know. My dad got it for me."

Alex chuckled. "You're gonna get arrested."

"You'd let them arrest me?" Mitchie asked with a slight pout.

"Well, I'd never let you get put into a position where you have to use the pepper spray," Alex said, squeezing Mitchie's hand. "I'd protect you. So no, I'd never let you get arrested."

Mitchie blushed this time, smiling widely. She pressed her forehead to her girlfriend's shoulder as they walked, lifting it a few seconds after. She'd never felt more lucky. Alex was perfect. She'd just said everything Mitchie needed to hear, and meant it.

**GAP**

All too soon they were standing outside Mitchie's apartment door, both staring at each other and neither daring to start the goodbye process.

"I really don't want to leave you right now," Alex said honestly.

"I don't want you to either," Mitchie said, reaching up and cupping Alex's cheek. "I wish you come in and stay the night."

"I wish I could to," Alex said, leaning into Mitchie's touch. It was warm because they'd had gloves on while outside, but once they were inside, they'd taken them off. She reveled in the softness of Mitchie's fingers.

"Wait…You can!" Mitchie said, realizing.

"I can?" Alex raised her eyebrows at her girlfriend.

"You're a wizard!" Mitchie said, smiling at her girlfriend. "You can just pop into my room! My parents wouldn't even know you were there!"

"I don't know, Mitchie," Alex said, taking Mitchie's hand and removing it from her face, though keeping it held in her own. "That seems like pushing it to me."

"Please, Alex," Mitchie said gently, taking a step closer to the other girl. "I really want you with me tonight."

Alex looked into those beautiful brown eyes and couldn't resist. "Okay. But I'll have to pop myself back home before Justin wakes up tomorrow."

"We can set an alarm for you," Mitchie said.

"And I'll have to go home and stay there for a little while. I have to make it look like I'm going to bed so no one comes check on me. And they'd never believe I'd go to sleep at…" she pulled her phone from her pocket and checked the time. "8:30. I'd have to stay home until at least ten."

"Okay." Mitchie nodded. "I can wait until then. I just want to sleep with you."

"Oh you want to sleep with me, do you?" Alex asked, raising her eyebrows suggestively and giving Mitchie a cocky grin.

"You know what I meant!" Mitchie giggled softly.

"Oh yeah. I do. You want me for my body." Alex stuck her tongue out at her girlfriend.

Mitchie, thinking quickly, leaned forward and captured Alex's tongue with her mouth. Alex, surprised, pulled her tongue back into her mouth, leaving her lips pressed against Mitchie's. Mitchie brought her hands up and grabbed Alex's face, pressing their mouths together more. Mitchie's upper lip fit perfectly in between Alex's upper and bottom lips. This was Mitchie's kiss. This time, she was in control, as she had Alex's bottom lip in her possession. She gently sucked Alex's lip. Then, she opened her mouth a little more, gently biting down. As she pulled away, she tugged with her teeth before releasing Alex's lip.

Dark brown eyes shot open. Alex stared at Mitchie, stunned, as she tried to get her breathing under control once more. She was at a loss for words. What do you say after a surprise kiss like that?

"You should go." Mitchie gave Alex one last, quick peck on the lips. "Hurry back to me." She released her face, took her key from her pocket, and went inside.

Still in a daze, Alex removed her wand from its holder and swirled it around a little. The world disappeared around her and she was back in her room, standing near the foot of her bed, her back to it. She let her wand fall to the floor as she stumbled backwards, falling flat on her back on her bed. She stared at the ceiling, still in shock, still speechless.

**

* * *

**

When Mitchie got in, all of the lights were out and her parents were nowhere in sight. She checked their bedroom door, and she could hear her father's snoring coming from behind it. They were already asleep.

She'd called around dinner time to tell them she'd gotten a job at the sub shop and she was going to have supper with the Russos, and they'd said okay, but she'd expected them to wait up for her and ask her how her first day was. But she knew they were tired. Her mother worked on her feet all day, so she was exhausted when she got home, and her father had had to fire a manager at the hardware store, so he was going in earlier to pick up the slack.

Feeling slightly dejected and knowing she didn't have anything to do for at least an hour and a half, Mitchie took a shower. Showers were usually where Mitchie did her best thinking. Tonight, she was thinking about Shane yet again. She was happy with Alex, happier than she could ever recall being, but something was still nagging at her. How could he just not care about her at all? She hadn't been in love with him, but him completely using and then abandoning her just plain hurt.

She had a habit of starting to write songs in the shower. And this was bad because, of course, she had nothing to write these songs with. And tonight, she started writing what she was pretty sure was the best song she'd ever written.

She quickly finished her shoulder and dried her hair as much as she could with the towel so she wouldn't have to use the hair dryer and wake her parents. She pulled on her comfy pajama pants and a dark gray, almost black, t-shirt and nearly dashed to her room.

She grabbed a notebook off her desk and a pen and set to work. First she wrote out everything she was feeling, just to get it all out. Then she started on the lyrics. Before she could lose the tune in her head, she went to her closet and pulled out her electric guitar. She set up its amp and plugged in her headphones, beginning to set the lyrics to music. She let her fingers work on their own, the melody in her brain coming out naturally. Then she played it again and paid attention to what chords she was playing. Then she played it again, just because she liked it so much, and sang along with it quietly.

After nearly forty-five minute of working, she was coming down off her writing high. She pulled her headphones off her head and stared at the paper on the ground beside her.

"Did you forget?" she read aloud, testing the words.

"Did I forget what?"

Mitchie jumped at the sound of Alex's voice, surprised to see her girlfriend sitting on her bed. "You scared me," she told Alex, holding her hand to her chest, her heart being crazily fast first from being frightened, then from the sight of her beautiful girlfriend.

"Sorry," Alex said softly. "Didn't mean to. I just popped in like we agreed I would."

"It's okay," Mitchie said, looking at Alex. "How long have you been here?"

"Only about thirty seconds." Alex said, Mitchie's eyes still on her.

Alex's hair was wavy from just being washed and Mitchie was certain it smelled wonderful. She had on a purple sleeping tank top and matching pajama bottoms. Her tank was a little too short from being washed, so when she leaned over the place her wand on Mitchie's desk, it lifted a little, exposing the tan skin of Alex's stomach. Mitchie had to remind herself to breathe and tore her eyes from her girlfriend's stomach.

"You're early," she commented, unplugging her guitar from the amp and standing to put it back in the closet.

"You told me to get back quickly," Alex said, standing as well. "I went back in the living room and kept yawning loudly while my dad watched TV. He got so annoyed he told me I should get some sleep. So sending me to bed was his idea, and no one will check on me." Alex grinned at her cleverness.

"Good job," Mitchie said with a slight chuckle, followed by a yawn as she placed the amp back in its spot as well.

"So what did I forget?" Alex asked, picking up Mitchie's notebook from the floor, seeing that it had words and scribbles and chords written all over it in random places.

"It's just a song I'm working on," Mitchie said, taking the notebook from Alex.

"You write songs? I mean, I heard your dad say you sing the other day, but you write your songs too?" Alex asked in slight awe, never knowing anyone who did this. Mitchie nodded, smiling slightly. "Can I hear it?" she asked the brunette.

"Not yet," Mitchie said, holding the notebook to her chest. "It's not done yet."

"How about when it's done?"

"Then you'll be the first to hear it," Mitchie told her with a smile, going over to her desk and placing her notebook back in its drawer. "So what do you want to do now?" she asked, turning around to face Alex, while leaning against her desk.

Alex shrugged. "What do you want to do?"

"Honestly," Mitchie said, "I just want to lie down with you. That night I slept with you holding me…It was the best sleep of my life. And after I woke up, I just wanted to stay lying there for hours."

Alex smiled, her ego inflating while a slight blush made its way to her cheeks. "Then let's lie down."

Mitchie crawled into her bed, lying on her side so that she'd be facing Alex when she got into bed as well. Alex lay down beside her, both of them over the covers. Alex scooted closer so that one of her arms draped over Mitchie's waist. Mitchie reached out to move a strand of Alex's raven hair from her face, leaving her hand on Alex's face. She stroked her cheek with her thumb, Alex smiling with delight. She loved when Mitchie touched her like that.

Content, warm, secure, and completely happy, Mitchie's eyes began to droop closed, a smile of her own on her face.

"Don't tell me you're going to sleep already!" Alex protested.

"I'm pregnant, leave me alone," Mitchie grumbled playfully but opened her eyes again to look at Alex.

"You can only use that as an excuse so much," Alex mimicked, using the line Mitchie had used earlier that day.

"Don't use my words against me!" Mitchie giggled, Alex laughing as well. "I can only use that for a few more months. It's December. He or she will be here in April," she said, looking down at her stomach. The weight on the situation crashed down on her at random moments, like it was doing a little bit just then.

When she looked back up, she saw Alex staring at her stomach as well. All Alex could think was that there was a person in there, a little Mitchie. She prayed that kid turned out like his mom and not that dick of dad. _Shane_. The name still put a bad taste in her mouth. But thinking about that kid, she could only see a little baby Mitchie. In another few months, her girlfriend would officially become a mother.

She looked to Mitchie's face, only to see that Mitchie had been watching her. She seemed scared and Alex smiled slightly to show her it was okay, that she wasn't freaking out because of the baby thing. Reassured, Mitchie smiled as well. She didn't know what compelled her to do it, but she brought her hand to the hem of her shirt and lifted it, revealing her stomach. It had a slight bump, which could be hidden with shirts, but was obvious bare.

Seeing it fully for the first time, Alex was amazed. There was a _life_ in there, inside Mitchie. Alex reached out a hand slowly and placed her soft fingertips on Mitchie's stomach, right under her bellybutton. It wasn't soft, like her own stomach, though the skin was smooth; it was hardened as a result of her pregnancy.

She locked eyes with Mitchie. No verbal communication took place, but each understood what the other wanted and needed. Mitchie turned so that her back was facing Alex. Alex scooted closer, her body pressed against Mitchie's. Mitchie's shirt still raised to reveal her stomach, Alex placed her hand on it, rubbing in small circles. It was an odd feeling, but not unpleasant. As she stroked, she realized how much heat was radiating from Mitchie. Alex's body was flooding with emotions, every sense on edge. For some crazy reason, she was around by touching Mitchie's exposed flesh as innocently as she was, but she had no desire to do anything about this arousal. She just wanted to keep on stroking Mitchie's stomach, holding her like that.

After a few minutes, Alex calmed down after the initial contact. She lifted herself with her elbow and looked at Mitchie's face. She was sleeping peacefully already, her face angelic. Alex's heart swelled and she couldn't tear her eyes away. She just stared at this girl she was lucky enough to call her girlfriend, knowing she would never care for another the way she cared for Mitchie. It was intense and strong.

It had only been a few months since they'd met and hardly over a week since they'd started dating. There was still so much they didn't know about it each other, but there was something Alex _did_ know. She had never been surer of anything in her entire life−

She'd already fallen in love with Mitchie Torres.

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**This story is about more than just a physical relationship between my characters, which I hope is becoming apparent. It is about learning from experiences, growing, and struggling. It's about finding yourself and opening your heart even in the scariest situations, about taking chances and having faith. It's about love on many different levels: friendship, family, and yes, relationship-wise. I just felt I needed to say this. **

**REVIEW!**


	24. Mitchie's Being Difficult

**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place.**

**Okay, so Alex and Mitchie couple name votes/suggestions are in. Of mine, you liked Mitchex best. However, ****Jacqurin**** suggested Alie or Alexie. Personally, I like Alexie best. I think this is the next best after Malex (which we can't have because that's Mason/Alex, which is a "real" couple, and I guess "real" couples reign over us). So vote on those 3. Let's try to start a new couple name!

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"Stop fidgeting," Connie scolded Mitchie, who sat in on the examination table, shifting every few moments and causing the thin paper on the table to make an irritating crinkling sound.

Mitchie sighed and slouched, hanging her shoulders, but stopped moving. "Was making me put this on really necessary?" she asked, pulling at the examination gown they'd made her change into. "In all the movies I've seen the women don't have to change into these stupid gowns. They just lift their shirts, get the goo squirted on their stomach, and it's done."

"That's the movies, Mitchie. This is the real world," her mother said, flipping a page in the magazine she'd brought to entertain herself while waiting.

Today was the big day. It was time for Mitchie's first ultrasound. It was also her first doctor's appointment since the confirmation of her pregnancy, so she wasn't sure what to expect. She was currently praying to God she wasn't having twins, a scary thought she hadn't been able to get out of her head since Alex had placed it there.

"Why do movies have to lie to me?" she muttered, looking down at her gown in distaste.

"I bet they didn't tell you you're supposed to come with a full bladder either, huh?" Connie asked a little amusedly, closing her magazine and putting it on her purse.

"Thanks for reminding me I have to pee, Mom." Mitchie frowned and crossed her legs. "They should have done the ultrasound first instead the tests so I could go to the bathroom," she said bitterly.

"That's not how they do things, Sweetie," Connie said.

"Well they should! And then, they make me wait forever and a day!" she complained. "I could be working right now, making money."

"I'm sure he has other patients."

Mitchie shook her head, as if she didn't believe her mother, and checked the clock on the wall. "We've been in here for nearly fifteen minutes. It's not just me they're keeping from work, it's you too. You work in a restaurant too."

"I told them the day after I made this appointment that I'd need the afternoon off until dinner time," Connie said. "The kitchen staff can handle the food until then. And I'm sure the Russos are alright without you. Justin's covering your shift since he isn't tutoring you and Alex until later today, right?"

"Yes, but still!" Mitchie sighed agitatedly. She was so anxious about the baby. She knew she was projecting her feelings onto the situation and worrying about things that really didn't need to be worried about, but she couldn't help herself. What if something was wrong? What if she waited too long to come to the doctor and there was something wrong with her baby that could have been taken care of earlier had she just been responsible and come in sooner? If something was wrong with her baby, she'd never forgive herself.

"How are you and Alex doing?" Connie asked carefully, knowing how easy it was to upset her daughter nowadays. She'd been wanting to talk about this, but hadn't known how to approach the subject, and talking about the Russos seemed to be as good of a chance as any.

Mitchie blushed slightly. "We're good. Great, in fact." Better than great even. Ever since that night Alex stayed over, just holding Mitchie (not the time after the movies, but the other one), they'd been nearly inseparable. Alex came over every night now, their parents oblivious to this, however. It's not like they (their parents) had anything to worry about, though. If anything, they only shared a few kisses. They'd never even made out at their sleepovers, knowing they'd both probably feel guilty about it because they were breaking one of Mitchie's parents' rules already.

"Just curious, but what do the two of you plan to do, exactly, when the baby comes?" Connie asked, knowing her daughter had most likely given this a lot of thought.

"We're not looking that far into the future," Mitchie admitted. "I wish she could have come today…"

"Do you really think she could have handled this, Mitchie? Honestly." Mrs. Torres shook her head at her daughter. This wasn't the answer she'd been looking for. She'd wanted to hear that Mitchie had a plan, that she was being responsible and prepared. Instead, she was leaving it all up to chance? That wasn't like Mitchie at all.

"Yes, I think she could!" Mitchie defended, even though in the back of her head she wasn't so confident. She wasn't even sure _she_ could handle the ultrasound, and she was the mature one in the relationship. "Let's just not talk about Alex anymore. Ever again, okay? Because all that's going to happen is you're going to say something to put her down and then I'm just going to get mad at you."

"I'm not trying to put her down, Mitchie," Connie said, a little stunned at her daughter's tone. She wasn't used to Mitchie being this defensive of anyone, not even herself.

"Sure seems like it," Mitchie muttered. "I know you don't want me to be with her."

"Who said I don't want you to be with her?" Connie asked, standing from her chair and putting her hands on her hips.

"You did!" Mitchie exclaimed, pointing at her mother. This caused the back of her dress to open, though, so she quickly grabbed at it to close it again. "You were so against me being with her when I told you two weeks ago."

"I was in shock, Mitchie," Connie said gently. "It's hard to wrap your head around the fact that your pregnant daughter now likes girls. But I'm trying. I'm allowing you to date her, aren't I?"

"But you still would rather me not be dating her," Mitchie said quietly, looking away. Once again, she was feeling dejected. Something Mitchie had always had a problem with was acceptance, which is why she'd kept her sexuality so hidden, even to herself sometimes. And the fact that her own mother wouldn't accept her took a toll on the sixteen-year-old's ego.

Connie stepped forward and took her daughter's face in her hands, making Mitchie look at her with her now tear-filled eyes.

"Now you listen to me, Mitchie Catherine," she said. "I love you, always and no matter what. You're my only child, and I just want what's best for you. Nothing is more important to me than you and your happiness. So if Alex makes you happy, then by all means, date her. I'll admit I'm not crazy about the idea, but I'll get used to it, and so will your father. He wants you to be happy too. It's so easy to see that Alex is, oddly enough, very good for you. She brings the smile back to your face, and that's all I want. I don't hate her. How could I hate someone that makes you smile after everything you've been through these past few months?" She paused, feeling her own tears welling in her eyes. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. I know I haven't been too understanding recently, but I'm going to try to be better. I want nothing more than you to just wake up happy in the morning, and if Alex does that, then I will support your relationship with her."

Mitchie was speechless for a few moments, not really sure what to say. She'd never felt more appreciative in her life. This was all anyone in her position could ask for from their mother. She'd never been a lucky girl, always tripping and having terrible things happen to her. But as of late, she was getting everything she wanted: a great girlfriend and a mother that backed her one hundred percent. It felt too good to be true, but it was.

"Thank you," Mitchie said quietly when she was able to find her voice again.

"You're welcome," Connie said, removing her hands from her daughter's face. "I love you, Mitchie."

Mitchie reached out and took her mother's hand in her own. "I love you, too, Mom."

As the mother and daughter shared a soft, heart-felt smile, the door to the examination room swung open and a middle-aged, dark-skinned doctor walked in, followed by a woman in scrubs.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," he said as both Torres women tried hastily to dry their tears. "I had an emergency call at the hospital this morning, so all of my appointments got backed up." He walked over to the exam table, clipboard in hand. "Mitchie Torres?" he asked. Mitchie nodded. "Hi, Mitchie. I'm Dr. Ramirez. I'm going to be your doctor for the rest of your pregnancy. This is Dr. Chase." He motioned toward the blond woman standing behind him. "She's an ultrasound technician, and she'll be doing your ultrasound today. I'm just here to introduce myself and give you the results of the tests you took earlier today."

Mitchie just nodded, a bit intimidated by the doctor. She felt her mother squeeze her hand for support.

"Do you have any questions for me before I begin giving you the results?" Dr. Ramirez asked, his dark eyes flicking back and forth between Mitchie and her mother as Dr. Chase worked in the background, getting the ultrasound equipment ready. They each shook their heads. "Okay." He flipped a page on his clipboard, looking down at it. "So, Mitchie, you're sixteen, correct?"

"Yes," Mitchie said quietly with a blush. "But I'm turning seventeen in January."

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about," Dr. Ramirez said kindly with a smile when he saw her blush. "I specialize in teen pregnancies, didn't your mother tell you?"

"No, she didn't," Mitchie said, looking at her mother. Now that she thought about it, though, there had been a few girls that looked to be around her age or even a bit younger in the waiting room.

"I didn't?" Connie said, clearly having forgotten that she hadn't mentioned this before. "Oh, well, he does."

Dr. Ramirez gave a slight chuckle and turned his attention back to his clipboard. "As of right now, you are eighteen weeks along, so you're in your fourth month of pregnancy. That means you've entered your second trimester. We estimate your delivery date to be April twenty-fifth."

Mitchie took a breath. That seemed so far away, yet she knew it really wasn't. It was practically right around the corner. It might as well have been tomorrow.

"Any questions yet?" Dr. Ramirez asked when he saw the worried look on Mitchie's face.

"Uh…" She racked her brain, trying to come up with something, anything. "When do they usually start kicking? Because I haven't felt any of that yet. Actually, what _does _kicking feel like?"

"Well, babies in the womb start moving around seven to eight weeks, but movements become more noticeable around sixteen to twenty weeks. You're right in the middle of that time period," he explained. "So don't be surprised if it starts any day now. And if it takes a little longer, don't be alarmed. Some babies take longer. But if you start feeling movement and it suddenly stops one day, you might want to come in for an appointment. As for what it feels like, it's been described as popcorn popping inside the womb, a goldfish swimming around, or butterflies in the stomach."

_Great_, Mitchie thought, _how am I going to know if he or she is kicking when Alex gives me butterflies all the time?  
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"Movements are most easily felt when resting or sitting quietly," the doctor continued. "Sometimes they feel like hunger pains as well."

"Is there anything abnormal we should be looking for?" Connie asked.

"There can be, but Mitchie hasn't reported anything out of the ordinary," Dr. Ramirez said. "Tiredness, irritability, and mood swings are all normal, as are cravings."

"I haven't really had many of those," Mitchie said.

"Some people never get them." Dr. Ramirez nodded. "The major things to look out for are vaginal bleeding or any severe cramping. As long as there's none of that, you should be fine. From your test results, as far as we can tell, both you and the baby are very healthy."

"I'm ready to begin, Dr. Ramirez," Dr. Chase said, stepping forward.

"Alright, Dr. Chase. I'll get out of your hair." He smiled quickly at her before turning back to the soon-to-be teen mother and her mother. "Any final questions?"

Mitchie shook her head.

"Well, I'll be off, then," he said, starting to head towards the door. "Mitchie, I want you to come back in for another ultrasound somewhere between twenty-five and twenty-seven weeks of your pregnancy, when you'll be entering into your third trimester, okay?"

"Okay." Mitchie nodded.

"Thank you, Dr. Ramirez," Connie called as he walked out the door.

"Are you ready, Mitchie?" Dr. Chase asked quietly, giving a soft smile.

"Okay…" Mitchie said, her nerves showing clearly on her face.

"There's nothing to be scared of," Dr. Chase assured her. "It doesn't hurt at all. I promise. Just lie back and relax."

Mitchie nodded, trusting the blond woman. She lay back as instructed, putting her head at the top of the exam bed.

"Lift your gown, please," Dr. Chase said, switching on the monitor that would show the image of the baby.

Cheeks turning pink, Mitchie lifted the gown. She hated people being able to see her underwear and she felt extremely uncomfortable. Sensing her daughter's stress, Connie grabbed her hand again, showing she was there for Mitchie. Mitchie gave her an appreciative smile.

"This is going to be a little cold," Dr. Chase warned as she squirted the ultrasound gel onto Mitchie's stomach.

When the chilly goo came into contact with her skin, Mitchie gave a sharp intake of breath.

"Told you." Dr. Chase chuckled a little before pressing the transducer probe into the gel.

As the transducer started to glide across her skin, dark images began to appear on the screen. Mitchie could hear her heart beating in her ears, anxious to get that first look, to see him or her for the first time. Her heartbeat was so loud, she almost didn't hear a muffled, steady beat.

"Do you hear that?" Dr. Chase asked Mitchie and Mrs. Torres. "That's the baby's heart. And that…That's the baby."

Mitchie nearly stopped breathing as a human-like form came onto the screen. She could make out a head, a small body, and what was that? That was a hand. That was his or her little hand, moving ever so slightly.

There he or she was, just a blurry image on the screen, but real. He or she had a heartbeat, was alive. This was a person, a life Mitchie had created completely by accident. Months ago, she only saw this baby as an obstacle to overcome, something bad she did that she was getting punished for. She didn't want this, but seeing her baby on that screen, she couldn't imagine a future without him or her in it.

"Oh my God," Connie gasped after a few seconds of watching her grandchild, tears starting in her eyes again. She was feeling exactly what Mitchie was, and it was overwhelming.

"Would you like to know the sex?" Dr. Ramirez asked.

Mitchie couldn't speak, too transfixed, watching her baby shift inside her stomach.

"Mitchie, do you want to know what you're having?" her mother asked her quietly.

"No," Mitchie said, barely audible to the others in the room, but they'd heard her.

"Are you sure?" her mom asked. "It'd be best if we'd know so we can start buying clothes and such."

"No," Mitchie said again, a hint of finality in her voice. And that was the end of that.

Connie sighed, a little disappointed. She'd really wanted to know whether she was having a grandson or granddaughter, but she knew it was Mitchie's choice, and she needed to respect that.

"Can we have pictures?" Connie asked the doctor as she started picking up the equipment.

"Of course," Dr. Chase said.

Mitchie tuned them out. An image of her baby was frozen on the monitor, and she couldn't stop staring at it in awe.

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"Alex! Alex, Alex, Alex!" Mitchie exclaimed, rushing into the sub shop that afternoon, backpack slung over one shoulder.

"Mitchie! Mitchie, Mitchie, Mitchie!" Alex stopped clearing away the plates from the table she was cleaning and mimicked the excited girl. "What?" she asked with a laugh.

"Look!" Mitchie said, thrusting a small, blurry, black and white photo in Alex's face.

"What am I looking at?" Alex asked, raising her eyebrows at the gray blob in front of her face.

"My baby!" Mitchie said, smacking her girlfriend on the shoulder. "Don't you see?"

Alex squinted, trying to find the human in the different curves of the photograph. Tilting her head to the side, she was just able to make out a head, a tiny nose protruding slightly.

"Oh I see it!" Alex said, getting excited too. "Oh my gosh! This is so cool! Did you find out what it is?"

Mitchie shook her head, looking over Alex's shoulder to look at the picture as well. "I don't want to know. I want to be surprised."

"That's no fun," Alex said, pouting slightly while she handed the photo back to Mitchie. "How am I supposed to know what to buy it?"

"What _you're_ supposed to buy it?" Mitchie raised her eyebrows at her girlfriend.

"Duh!" Alex said, picking up the dishes from the table and starting to walk away, Mitchie following. "I'm gonna spoil that kid rotten."

"Alex, that's really not necessary," Mitchie said, leaning her elbows on the counter.

"What's all the excitement about?" Theresa asked, coming from the kitchen where she'd been washing dishes to stand behind the register again. "I heard yelling a little while ago."

"I had my first ultrasound today," Mitchie said, smiling a little.

"Oh! Do you have a picture?" Theresa asked, to which Mitchie nodded. "Do you have it with you? Can I see? Please let me see!"

"I think the woman wants to see, Mitchie," Alex said with a smirk.

"Oh hush, you," Theresa scolded Alex as Mitchie handed her the photograph. When she'd been looking at Alex, she'd been wearing an annoyed look, but as soon as she saw the ultrasound picture, her face softened. "Awe. It's so tiny! What is it?"

"She doesn't want to know," Alex said, shaking her head at Mitchie. "She's being difficult."

"I have a right not to know," she pointed out.

"Well, what do you want?" Theresa asked, handing the picture back.

"I don't really care," Mitchie admitted.

"I know what it is," Alex said, giving that usual cocky smirk.

"Oh really? You're a doctor now?" Mitchie laughed a little.

"No, I just have a feeling." Alex continued to smirk.

Mitchie just shook her head amusedly. "And what do you think it is, then, Alex?"

"I'm not telling. You don't want to know, so I won't tell you what I think it is because I know I'm right."

"Yeah, okay, Miss Genius," Theresa said, rolling her eyes. "Go get your brother and tell him Mitchie is here for the lesson. He's upstairs."

"Why is he upstairs again?" Alex asked, putting her hands on her hips. "He's supposed to be covering Mitchie's shift."

"We were slow, so I let him go." Theresa sighed. "Just get him."

"Fine. JUSTIN!" she yelled, not moving from her spot, causing her mom to clap her hand over her ear that was right next to Alex's mouth.

"Alex, I could have done that!" Theresa said crossly.

"Then why didn't you?" Alex asked, genuinely confused.

"Just go to the back tables," she said, pointing towards the fake subway car.

Alex shrugged, grabbed her bag from under the counter, and walked with Mitchie to the subway car eating area. She slid into a booth, Mitchie sitting across from her.

"I still don't see what you don't want to know the sex," Alex commented, beginning to unzip her bag.

"And I don't see why you don't tell your parents we're dating," Mitchie countered, unzipping her own bag.

Alex slapped a notebook on the tabletop. "I told you, they'd flip because of the baby thing."

"And I told you, I want to be surprised in the delivery room," Mitchie countered, placing a notebook on the table as well.

Before Alex could open her mouth for a retort, Justin entered.

"Good afternoon, pupils," he said with a cheery smile. "Who's ready to learn?"

Alex rolled her eyes at her brother's dorky words. "Me," she said, placing a limp hand in the air.

After seeing Justin's smile drop at Alex's reaction, Mitchie smiled enthusiastically and put her hand high in the air. "Me!" she exclaimed.

Justin clapped his hands together, his smile returning. "That's what I'm talking about!"

As Justin pulled up a chair, Alex looked at Mitchie.

_Kiss up_, she told Mitchie, using the spell that connected their thoughts.

_What can ya do?_ Mitchie asked, giving her a bashful smile.

_Don't you smile at me, I'm mad at you,_ Alex joked, flipping open her notebook and tearing her eyes from Mitchie's adorable smile.

_Come on now. We both know you can't be mad at me_.

Alex was going to think up a witty retort, but her brain completely went blank when she felt something sliding up her leg. Glancing to see if Justin was looking, she checked under the table to find that Mitchie had removed her shoe and was now sliding her sock-clad foot up Alex's leg.

_Still mad_? Mitchie sat there casually, feigning innocence as her foot slid further up her girlfriend's leg.

_My brother's right there! _Alex thought frantically, darting a glance at her brother, who was completely oblivious. When she felt Mitchie's foot making its way to the inside of her thigh, she nearly jumped right out of her seat in surprise.

Justin gave her a look. "Are you okay, Alex?" he asked, watching her carefully.

"I'm fine," Alex said, her chest rising and falling as she tried to calm herself. Thankfully, she no longer had a foot sliding closer to a personal area. "Mitchie just kicked me. I was startled."

"My bad," Mitchie said, doing her best to hide her devilish grin by opening a book and putting it in front of her face.

_Yes, you are bad. _Alex glared at her girlfriend playfully and shook her head.

_You haven't seen anything yet._ Mitchie winked at Alex over the top of her book.

_Oh really, Miss Torres? _Alex raised her eyebrows, trying to keep her cool and cursing the heat that was flooding her cheeks.

Under the table, she placed her hand on Mitchie's knee and gave it a slight squeeze. Alex gave her a special smirk when Mitchie locked eye with her. Alex squeezed Mitchie's knee harder, thinking up a final retort before breaking the spell.

_Can't wait.

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**Review!**

**You will LOVE next chapter. Just saying.**


	25. Happy Birthday, Alex

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place or Camp Rock. Nor do I own Ebay, Paramore, the "Happy Birthday" song, or **_**Wall-E.**_

**So, I said Alex's birthday was December 15th. It is 11:41 pm on Dec. 15th. I didn't plan this. The chapters just fell perfectly. I _had _to get this out on the day I said was Alex's birthday. You'll see why as you begin to read.**_**  
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A seventeenth birthday is a cause for celebration. And Alex Russo's seventeenth birthday was no exception, or at least her girlfriend Mitchie Torres thought so.

Alex's parents had agreed to let Alex off for the day on account of the event, knowing she probably wouldn't do work anyway. Alex seemed to think on her birthday she didn't have any responsibilities; that it was all about her. That had been her view of every single day until Mitchie came along. Now, her selfish ways were reserved to her birthday.

And she wouldn't rest until her parents agreed to let Mitchie have the day off as well.

When Mitchie heard that she'd gotten the day off with Alex, she was so excited. She'd started planning Alex's entire birthday. But, the morning of December fifteenth, she arrived at the Russo dwelling to find that Alex was still in bed asleep.

"Alex, wake up!" Mitchie scolded, flipping on the light.

Alex made no movements, just kept on sleeping, her mouth open slightly. Mitchie regarded her adorable girlfriend, internally fighting with herself. Alex had spent the night again, but had to pop back into her own bed around six like she did every morning so no one would catch them. Every time Alex left, Mitchie had a terrible time trying to go back to sleep. It hardly ever happened, which is one of the reasons she always needed to go to bed so early. But it seemed as though Alex had fallen asleep as soon as she landed in her bed. And at that moment, Mitchie wanted nothing more than to join her girlfriend under the covers.

She checked her watch, seeing that it was nearly nine in the morning. She had so many things she wanted to do for Alex's birthday, but she really wanted to crawl back into her girlfriend's arms and get more sleep. Twenty minutes couldn't hurt, right?

Indulging, Mitchie kicked off her boots and crawled into Alex's bed, settling under the covers. She scooted close, not saying anything or making a move to touch the other girl, curious to see what Alex would do.

Alex, sensing another's presence in her sleep, stirred slightly. She was lying on her stomach, face pressed into the mattress. She shifted her body closer to the source of warmth, reaching with her hand, eyes still closed and still asleep.

Mitchie smiled when Alex's fingers curled around her own. She leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Alex's cheek. The Latino girl's lips curled into a smile.

"Mitchie," Alex said, waking, though her eyes were still closed.

"How'd you know it was me?" Mitchie asked gently, removing a few strands of hair from Alex's face.

"Who else kisses me when I'm sleeping?" she asked groggily, opening her eyes slowly.

She was met with a smile from her girlfriend, lying beside her in her bed. Her heart swelled and Alex pulled at Mitchie's hand, making her come closer. As soon as their bodies were only a centimeter apart, Alex looped her arm around Mitchie's waist. Mitchie smiled contentedly and buried her face in Alex's shoulder.

"What brings you here at this time of night?" Alex asked, sliding her hand up Mitchie's back to her hair, stroking it lovingly.

"It's morning, Silly," Mitchie said, her voice muffled because her mouth was still pressed to the fabric of Alex's shirt.

Alex chuckled, and Mitchie could feel it vibrating in her chest.

"When it's my birthday, anything before three in the afternoon is night," Alex said.

Mitchie lifted her head. "You can't sleep until three!" Mitchie protested. "It's your birthday and we don't have to work! I have our entire day planned!"

"So do I." Alex smiled. "We stay here, in my bed, and sleep some more. Then, when we wake up, I'll kiss you until you see stars." To this, Mitchie started blushing furiously. Alex only smirked. "And then we will watch TV until our eyes run out of saliva. After that, I will walk you home, like always. I will come back here, and then, at the usual time, I will pop into your room, just like always. Then I will take you in my arms once more and we shall sleep again."

Mitchie had to admit, she loved Alex's plan, especially the part about kissing until she saw stars. However, as much as her girlfriend's plan tempted her, she knew her own was _much _better.

"Or," Mitchie said, smiling slightly, "we can do what I have planned and when we're done, we can go back to my apartment and I can give you your birthday present."

"Or…We can do what I want, and that can be my present."

"Or." Mitchie untangled herself from Alex's arms, standing from the bed. "You can get your cute little butt up, get dressed, and we _are_ doing what I planned, because I put a lot of thought into this. So Alex Russo, you have thirty minutes to get out of bed, put some clothes on, do your makeup and hair, brush your teeth, and eat if you wish. Thirty minutes, starting…Now!"

Alex sat up straight in bed, staring at Mitchie in disbelief. She was about to give her girlfriend a charming smile to talk her back into the sleeping plan, but when she saw the look on Mitchie's face, she sighed, declaring defeat.

"Why is it that the day I want to sleep you decide to be demanding?" Alex muttered, throwing the covers off her legs.

"Not demanding, just pushy," Mitchie defended, walking around to the other side of the bed and taking Alex's hand, pulling her from the warm, comfy blankets.

"Same difference!" Alex groaned as she was pulled to her feet.

"That doesn't even make sense." Mitchie got Alex moving by giving her a small shove in the direction of her closet.

Alex groaned more and opened her closet doors, staring at her clothes with still-tired eyes. She pushed a few shirts back and forth along the rack, nearly making a few fall from their hangers. Finally, she decided on a long-sleeve striped purple shirt. She removed the sleep shirt she was wearing, revealing a plain black bra. She'd completely forgotten someone else was in the room. When she turned her back on her closet to pull the shirt over her head, her eyes landed on Mitchie, who was sitting on her bed with an amused smile on her face.

"Jesus!" Alex exclaimed, hugging the shirt to her chest. "I forgot you were in here."

"You turned your back for maybe thirty seconds!" Mitchie laughed.

"Well, I didn't expect to see you watching me," Alex said, putting the shirt down to revel her bra-clad chest and stomach once again−that stomach Mitchie loved so much.

"Just get dressed so we can move on with our lives," Mitchie said, though her eyes did not leave the spot right above Alex's navel.

**

* * *

**

A little over a half hour later, Alex found herself being dragged down the stairs by Mitchie, who was muttering about how she didn't know how they'd fit in everything she wanted to do that day.

"I know you're capable of walking faster than that!" Mitchie scolded, standing at the foot of the stairs while Alex took her good old time on the last five steps.

"Mitchie, just be happy I'm awake right now!" Alex countered and hopped off from the third step up, landing on the ground. It was true. Something inside Alex just _knew_ it was her birthday, making her extra lazy.

"Where do you two think you're going?" Justin exclaimed, walking over with an apron tied around his waist.

"Mitchie's taking me out for my birthday," Alex said, raising an eyebrow at him. "Why?"

"Because you have lessons!" Justin said, crossing his arms over his t-shirt and open button-down clad chest. "Just because Mom and Dad let you off work doesn't mean you don't have to do school."

Mitchie's heart dropped to her stomach. She completely forgot about school and Justin. So much for her wonderful day with her girlfriend.

"Listen, Justin," Alex said, turning on a charming smile. She grabbed both sides of his open-button down shirt and looked up at him. "We're not doing school today. I don't want to, and you can't make me. It's my birthday, and Mitchie had the whole day planned for us. Now, if you stand in the way of that, you'll wake up tomorrow to find that something very bad has happened to your entire collection of Captain Jim Bob Sherwood comics. Got it?" She smiled up at his stunned face, getting no response. "Great. Glad we had this talk. Come on, Mitchie."

Alex left her terrified brother standing there, took hold of her girlfriend's arm and pulled her out onto the street.

"_Unbelievable!"_ Justin hissed once his brain started working again.

**

* * *

**

"Mitchie, where are you taking me?" Alex asked after nearly ten minutes of straight walking, fast walking at that.

"I can't tell you. That would ruin the surprise!" Mitchie said, holding her phone up to her face as she followed the map on its screen.

"Do _you_ even know where we're going?" Alex asked, sticking her hands in her pockets because there was no chance of holding Mitchie's since she was clinging to that damn phone for dear life.

"Yes!" Mitchie defended. "It's all here on my GPS. And we have to hurry! We have lots to do today!"

"Just how much?"

Mitchie didn't answer, just kept her eyes trained on the small screen, glancing up every now and then to check the addresses on the buildings.

Alex removed her hand from her pocket, catching Mitchie's arm to stop her. Mitchie halted, looking at her girlfriend.

"Alex," she whined.

"Mitchie, how many things did you plan on us doing today?" Alex asked, not taking her eye from Mitchie.

Mitchie sighed and stuck her hand in her pocket, pulling out a folded up piece of paper. She opened it and showed it to Alex.

"You're ruining the surprise," she warned as Alex took it, opened it, and began reading it over.

"Mitchie, there's so many things on here!" she exclaimed, gawking at the filled page. "How did you expect us to do all of this?"

"I didn't," Mitchie said, kicking at the ground with her boot. "Just a good bit of it."

"There's no way we can even do half of this," Alex said, shaking her head. "How about we just do two things?"

"Two?" Mitchie frowned deeply. "But I put so much effort into that list, looking up the best spots in New York and researching them!"

"Yes, and I appreciate that," Alex said, folding up the paper and stuffing it in her own pocket. "But there's no way we'll be able to manage all of this, especially not in this cold. Look," she took Mitchie's face in her hands when she saw her girlfriend was getting flustered again, "you're a planner. You plan the crap out of things, which is what you did today. And I appreciate it, I really do. It's the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me on my birthday, and I love that you care enough to put all of this together, but there is no possible way for us to do even ten things on that list. Even with magic! There's just not enough hours in the day. Plus, my parents are insisting on taking me to dinner, remember?"

Mitchie's face still in Alex's hands, she nodded slightly. She remembered. She'd been invited, along with Harper.

"Okay, well that's at six," Alex said. "We only have until then. I don't want to be out in this cold weather for too long. It's not healthy, and I don't want you or me−especially you−to get sick. It's not good for the baby if you get sick, and I'm just a complete bitch to everyone when I don't feel well. Besides, I was serious when I said I just wanted to hold you all day and watch TV, take it easy. That sounds like the perfect day to me because I'd be spending it with you. Can we do that?"

Mitchie didn't say anything, just leaned forward and kissed Alex lovingly, right there in the middle of the sidewalk. When she pulled away, she was smiling brightly.

"Yes, yes we can," she said. "What two things off the list did you want to do?"

Alex blinked a few times, a little dazed. "Oh…Uh…" She shook her head, trying to get her thoughts straight. "Did I see bowling on the list?"

"Yes, that was on it," Mitchie said, trying to hide her distaste. She hated bowling with a passion. She was terrible at it. She'd just put it on the list because she thought Alex would like it since it was a sport that didn't take much effort and Alex was competitive and lazy.

"Well let's do that," Alex said. "I know a really cool bowling alley that glows in the dark!"

"Okay," Mitchie said, taking her GPS off her phone's screen. "Lead the way."

Alex slipped her hand into Mitchie's and started pulling them in the other direction. Mitchie held onto Alex's hand tightly, a strange feeling washing over her. She hated bowling so much, yet she wasn't dreading this too much. She was okay with going to the bowling alley.

When Alex leaned over and shyly brushed her lips against Mitchie's cheek, Mitchie figured out why she didn't care they were going bowling. She was alright with it because Alex wanted to do it. And if Alex was happy, she was happy.

**

* * *

**

"Didn't I tell you this place is awesome?" Alex exclaimed happily as she finished tying the lace of her bowling shoe.

"It's something, that's for sure," Mitchie admitted, looking around.

The place was completely empty except for the two of them because they opened at ten, and Mitchie and Alex had arrived at only ten after ten. Who on Earth would go to a bowling alley that early? Two girls that didn't have to be go to school that day, that's who.

But Mitchie had to admit that with the black lights and all of the bright, neon colors, it was the coolest bowling alley she'd ever been in.

"I still can't believe you didn't let me pay," Alex said, getting up to pick out her ball.

"It's your birthday!" Mitchie said, following her.

"Still, I'm a gentleman," Alex said. She picked up a neon yellow ball, testing its weight in her hands. Yes, this one would do. "I don't like my girl to have to pay for me."

"I'm not _your _girl, Alex," Mitchie said, smirking a little. "I'm a girl that dates you."

"Which makes you mine." Alex placed a quick kiss on Mitchie's cheek before walking away to put her ball on the ball return rack.

Mitchie rolled her eyes, though she was smiling at Alex's adorableness. She selected a bright pink ball and brought it over to where Alex had placed hers. Then she went over and sat near Alex, who was playing around with the touch screen monitor, setting up the game.

"Alright, everything's set," Alex said, touching the screen one last time. "You're first." She pointed to the TV hanging above the lane, showing the names.

Mitchie stood and looked up, expecting to see _Mitchie _and _Alex_ typed in the boxes. Instead, however, she saw _Adorable_ and _Sexy_. She turned to Alex, hand on hip.

"How come you get to be Sexy?" She asked, eyebrow raised.

"Because I am sexy," Alex said, leaning back in her chair. "You told me so yourself."

Mitchie raised her other eyebrow too. "Did I, now?"

Alex nodded. "Yes, you did. It was Thanksgiving, and I'd just rolled up the carpet. You were _staring_ at me, I asked you what you were looking at, and you said 'my hot as Hell girlfriend.' That translates into sexy."

Mitchie cleared her throat, her mind flashing with an image of Alex bent over, her shirt riding up, which had caused her to stare.

"I don't remember that," she said.

Alex smirked. "Like Hell you don't."

Mitchie's cheeks burned a brilliant shade of red and she was thankful it was dark. Sometimes she didn't like Alex to know the effect she had on her. It made her feel like her girlfriend's ego got a little too big.

"I'm bowling now," she said, turning her back to the grinning Alex. She went over to the ball return rack and picked up her pink ball. She walked over to the lane and, without any effort, tossed her ball.

It went straight into the gutter.

Behind her, she heard a chuckle. She turned around to see Alex had gotten to her feet and was now approaching her.

"You're terrible," she said, smiling amusedly.

"Well aren't you a sweetheart," Mitchie said, slightly amused herself. "Yeah, I suck at bowling, I know."

"Then why did you put it on the list?" Alex asked, reaching out and taking Mitchie's hand.

Mitchie smiled, looking down at their intertwined fingers. "I don't know. I thought you'd like it. And you obviously do since you chose it." She looked back up at the girl standing before her.

"You're right, I do." Alex nodded. "Which is why I'm going to teach you how to do this right."

"What?"

"Come on." Alex tugged at Mitchie's hand, bringing her to the ball return, where Mitchie's pink ball had just appeared. She picked it up for Mitchie and carried it to the beginning of their lane, bringing Mitchie with her. She handed the ball to her girlfriend.

"Alex, I've been taught how to bowl before. I'm still terrible," Mitchie said, sticking her fingers in the holes.

"But you've never been taught by _me,_" Alex said. "And I'm Alex Russo."

Mitchie smiled and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and you're _brilliant._"

"I am!" Alex said, moving behind Mitchie. She stood so that her front was pressed to Mitchie's back, her hands over Mitchie's. Mitchie was literally wrapped up in Alex. "Now, just let me guide you," Alex whispered in Mitchie's ear, causing the other girl to shudder with pleasure as tingles went down her spine from her girlfriend's hot breath.

Alex guided Mitchie's arms backwards and forwards a few times in a fluid motion. Mitchie's eyes fluttered closed, enjoying the contact with Alex. Then, suddenly, hands lifted from hers and Alex was no longer breathing in her ear.

Her eyes shot open as soon as she heard Alex say, "Now just do what I showed you, only let go of the ball."

_Damn it, Alex, _Mitchie thought somewhat bitterly. She hadn't wanted her to move. Wanting to get this bowl over with so she could get to the next one quicker and possibly have Alex 'help' her again, she brought the ball back like Alex had shown her, then forward, letting go at the place Alex had stopped her hands.

"There," she said, turning to Alex before the ball even got near the pins.

Alex wasn't looking at her. She was looking over Mitchie's shoulder with a huge smile on her face. "Uh, Mitch…" she pointed behind her girlfriend.

Mitchie whipped her head around just in time to see her pink ball make contact with the head pin, setting off a domino effect. Mitchie watched, mouth agape, as eight of the ten pins fell to the lane floor.

"I did it!" she exclaimed, an exciting smile making its way to her face. She started clapping and turned to face her girlfriend. "Alex, I did it!"

"I know, I saw!" Alex said happily, rushing over and gathering Mitchie in a huge hug.

Mitchie wrapped her arms around Alex tightly, but pulled her head back slightly. She and Alex looked at each other for a few seconds before their lips met, still curved into smiles. It was a quick, sweet kiss, but it was full of bliss.

"My turn," Alex said somewhat breathlessly, removing her arms from Mitchie's body.

She went over to the ball return and picked up her ball. She balanced it in her right hand and stared intently at the freshly set up pins. After a moment's concentration, Alex darted forward. A foot or so away from the lane, she dropped to her knees, sliding the rest of the way. She propelled the ball forward. It shot down the lane, directly hitting the head pin, causing all of the others to fall. It was a strike.

Smiling at her awesomeness, Alex stood, facing her girlfriend, who was smiling and shaking her head.

"Show off."

**

* * *

**

"You started getting better towards the end," Alex commented as the couple strolled through Central Park, the second thing from Mitchie's list Alex had decided on doing. It was beautiful this time of year. Fresh snow from the night before covered the ground, making it a winter wonderland wherever they looked. Christmas, being only ten days away, was definitely in the air.

"That's only because you helped me," Mitchie said. She'd actually bowled the best game of her life. Usually only getting around twenty every game she'd ever bowled, this time she got a seventy-five. It was nothing compared to Alex's 204, but it was still her personal best.

"You didn't need my help after a while." Alex smiled. "Though I kept giving it because you seemed to like it when I put my arms around you."

Mitchie's chilly cheeks turned pink yet again. "Shut up," she muttered, giving Alex a shove. "You can be such a pain sometimes."

"But you love me," Alex joked, grabbing Mitchie's hand.

Mitchie stopped dead in her tracks at Alex's words, realization smacking her in the face. She was frozen on the spot as her brain went into overdrive. Her increased need for Alex, the insane amount of butterflies in her stomach that had increased recently, the way just one text from her girlfriend could get her smiling for an hour…

Alex, seeing the look on Mitchie's face, began to get worried. "Mitchie, what's wrong?"

"Holy shit," Mitchie said quietly, looking at the white, snow-covered ground.

"Mitchie…" Alex squeezed the other girl's hand.

"I do," Mitchie said, looking up, right into Alex's eyes.

"You do what?"

"Love you," Mitchie said gently, her heart beating a mile a minute.

Alex's own heart began to beat as if she was on speed. "Normally, I wouldn't ask, but since we're dating, I think I have to… when you say you love me, do you mean like you love Caitlyn, or are you _in love_ with me?"

"I'm _in love_ with you," Mitchie said without hesitation, because she knew in her heart, the one that belonged to Alex, that it was true. "Is that crazy?"

"I don't think so," Alex said, shaking her head slowly. "Is it crazy that I'm in love with you too?"

Mitchie's entire body started to shake with−well, she wasn't sure with what, but she knew it wasn't fear. Excitement and happiness maybe?

"Hell no," she said quickly before grabbing the back of Alex's neck and pulling the other girl's lips to hers.

Alex immediately placed her hands on Mitchie's waist, pulling the other girl closer as she pressed her tongue to Mitchie's lips. Mitchie instantly opened her mouth, granting Alex access so that their tongues could dance together, hearts beating wildly in their chests.

Once oxygen became an issue and Alex could feel Mitchie trembling beneath her, she pulled away. They stared at each other for a few moments, both trying to gain control of their breathing.

"Come on," Alex said, still panting. "You're shaking. Let's get out of the cold."

**

* * *

**

"Here you go," Mitchie said, handing Alex a mug of hot chocolate. She sat beside her girlfriend on the couch, holding her on steaming cup.

"Thanks ," Alex said. She smiled at Mitchie as the other girl scooted closer. Alex helped her place the blanket they were sharing on her shoulders.

When they'd gotten to Mitchie's apartment, Mitchie had offered to make hot chocolate. Alex said she could do it, though. She just wanted Mitchie to get under the covers and get warm. She'd been the one shivering, after all. But Mitchie insisted since it was Alex's birthday. Plus, she hadn't been shivering because she was cold. Alex did coax her, however, to come sit with her on the couch while they waited for the hot chocolate to warm.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Mitchie exclaimed, placing her mug on the coffee table and standing, quickly shuffling through the empty apartment to her room.

"You're missing the entire movie!" Alex called after her. When they'd gotten in, they'd put in Mitchie's _Wall-E_ DVD and so far, Mitchie had not seen a second of it.

"Alex, I own it," Mitchie said with a smirk while walking back into the room. Her hands were hidden behind her back.

"What ya got there?" Alex asked suspiciously, grabbing the remote to pause the movie.

Mitchie brought out from behind her back a package, wrapped neatly. "For you," she said, smiling sweetly.

"You didn't have to do this," Alex said, taking the present.

"Oh yeah right! Like I'm not going to get my girlfriend a present on her birthday! Sure!" She shoved Alex's shoulder lightly as she took a seat beside her. "Open it."

Alex obeyed Mitchie's order and started ripping the paper from the box. Once all the paper was gone, she removed the lid. Moving aside some tissue paper, a red t-shirt was revealed. As Alex lifted it from its box, she audibly gasped, her chin dropping to the floor.

"Oh my God!" she yelled, staring at the Paramore t-shirt with the entire band's signatures scribbled across it with wide eyes. "How did you find this?"

"Ebay," Mitchie said simply. She'd searched every free moment she got for the perfect gift for Alex, and when she found it, she spent hours bidding on it. She'd spent nearly two hundred dollars on it, but Alex didn't need to know that. She was sure that if she told her how much it had cost, she'd flip her lid. She'd be grateful, yes, but she'd complain that Mitchie spent too much on her, but Mitchie thought it was worth it.

"Thank you," Alex said, hugging the shirt to her. "I'll never wash it."

"I'm sure you won't," Mitchie said with a small laugh.

Alex placed the shirt in her lap and admired it, then looked to her amazing girlfriend. Her heart was so full of love she thought it would burst.

"You're the best," she said, placing a hand on Mitchie's knee.

Mitchie covered Alex's hand with her own. "I know." She smiled.

"I love you," Alex said softly, heat flooding her cheeks as her heart started to beat quicker. Was it going to do that every time she told Mitchie she loved her?

"I love you, too," Mitchie said, her own cheeks turning pink.

They'd both started leaning forward, as if pulled by gravity, when all of a sudden, Mitchie pulled back quickly.

"Oh my God," Mitchie said, placing her hands on her stomach and looking down at it.

"What? What's wrong?" Alex asked, a little alarmed.

Mitchie didn't say anything, just grabbed Alex's hand and placed it on her stomach. Alex sat patiently, waiting to see what would happen next. Then, she felt it, the small tap against her palm.

"Oh my gosh," she breathed. "Is it…?"

"Kicking." Mitchie nodded. "It's kicking."

Alex continued to stare at Mitchie's stomach in amazement, every few moments feeling the small movements under her hand. Mitchie watched her, a small smile on her face. This was a huge moment in her and her baby's life together, and she'd shared it with Alex. And Mitchie knew there was no one else on Earth she'd have wanted to share it with besides the girl sitting beside her.

She placed her fingers under Alex's chin, lifting her head slightly. She placed a soft, loving kiss on the other girl's lips before looking deeply into her eyes.

"Happy birthday, Alex."

**

* * *

**

Hours later, surrounded by her family, best friend, and girlfriend in the restaurant her parents had brought them to eat at, Alex was still on a high. So far, she'd been having the best birthday of her entire life.

"Happy birthday to you…"

"Oh no!" Alex covered her face with her hands, trying to hide her blush. "That's what you guys did when I went with Mitchie to the bathroom? Told the staff it was my birthday?"

"They give you free cake if it's your birthday," Jerry told her, eyeing the chocolate cake hungrily.

Alex shook her head as the wait staff continued to sing her birthday wishes. She leaned to her left, whispering in Mitchie's ear.

"You were in on this?"

"No," Mitchie said honestly. "I just have to go to the bathroom a lot. I have a child pushing on my bladder, remember?"

Alex laughed and squeezed Mitchie's fingers under the table.

The waiter holding the cake placed it in front of her, a single candle lit with its flame dancing.

"Make a wish, Alex," Harper told her, paper clip earrings that matched her paperclip dress swinging.

Alex looked around the table, at the expectant faces of her best friend, brothers, and parents. Finally, she looked at Mitchie. She gave her a quick smile before leaning forward and blowing on the flame, making it vanish, leaving behind nothing but smoke and a burnt candle.

Everyone clapped as one of the waiters leaned forward and started slicing the cake to hand out.

"What did you wish for, Alex?" Max asked, taking his piece from the waiter.

"I can't tell you, Max, it won't come true," she said before locking eyes with Mitchie. "And I want this one to come true."

Mitchie gazed at her girlfriend curiously but said nothing as she was handed a piece of cake also. She ate with her left hand, her right still joined with Alex's left under the table. Every now and then, Alex would glance at Mitchie and smile, her unspoken wish still floating around in her mind.

_I wish for a long and happy life with Mitchie Torres and her baby._

_

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_

**This is my favorite chapter so far, I think. It was just so cute.**

**Review!  
**


	26. Merry Christmas

**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place. I do not own "Don't Forget" by Demi Lovato.**

**Not gonna lie. I was drinking towards the end of this. Happy holidays! Lol. Uploaded this chapter at 1:55 am Christmas Eve morning. This story is so perfect and special. I love that the timing fell in sync with the year.**

**SO! My pal Whurmy brought it to my attention that on a blog someone asked for a good Demena fan fic, and someone replied with a link to THIS STORY. First, OMG WOW! I am amazed and honored! Second, the person who did it was anonymous. So whoever did it, if you have an account on here, please come forward and tell me who you are. I'd like the thank you personally. But if you don't, I'll just say it here. THANK YOU TO WHOEVER RECOMMENDED MY STORY ON THAT BLOG. That's just...wow. All I can say.**

**

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**

"Merry Christmas!" exclaimed Caitlyn as she was welcomed into the Torres apartment.

"Caitlyn, Christmas is two days away," Mitchie said, taking the present Caitlyn was thrusting into her hands.

"I know, but this is the last time you'll see me before Christmas, so I have to give you my good wishes now!" the girl exclaimed. She shook snow out of her brown curls, letting the flakes fall to the floor where they melted seconds later. "Boy, it's really coming down out there, huh?" she asked, looking out the living room window.

"Yes." Mitchie nodded. "I hate it. I can't stand being cold. Growing up in Texas, I never had to deal with that."

"How do you think I feel?" Caitlyn asked, going over to sit on the couch. "I grew up in California! It's summer all the time there!"

"I bet you can't wait to get back there, then," Mitchie said, crossing the living room. She bent down and got Caitlyn's present from under the small, fake tree they'd set up in the corner. Mitchie hated it. She was used to having a big, real tree. She loved the smell. It just didn't feel like Christmas without it.

"No, I can't wait," Caitlyn said, taking the present from Mitchie when she handed it to her. "It will be good to see my mom again. I've missed her."

"How are things with your dad?" Mitchie asked, a little concerned. She knew how much attention Caitlyn could need at times, and he didn't seem like the type of guy who could give that. And they'd both been so busy with school and dancing for Caitlyn and school and work (and Alex) for Mitchie, they hadn't seen each other since the day Mitchie had found her way to Caitlyn's apartment.

"Well… He gave me my presents," Caitlyn said, looking at the gift in her lap. "Surprise, surprise… He got me everything I wanted."

"That's good, isn't it?" Mitchie asked, putting her hand on Caitlyn's shoulder.

"Yeah, except all I really wanted was a conversation with him." Caitlyn sighed, her face long. "Or even a hug."

"You want a hug? I'll give you a hug," Mitchie said, pulling Caitlyn to her and enveloping her in a huge hug. "I know it's not from who you wanted, but a hug's a hug, huh?"

Caitlyn smiled slightly, pulling out of her friend's embrace. "Thanks, Mitchie."

"You're welcome." Mitchie gave her a caring smile.

"So, are we going to open these or what?" Caitlyn asked, obviously changing the subject.

**

* * *

**

"Oh my goodness!" Caitlyn exclaimed, staring at the photograph Mitchie had just handed to her. It was the one of the ultrasound. "Look at little Mitchie or Shithead!"

"Can you not call him that?" Mitchie asked, though she was laughing slightly. It was a pretty good nickname, but she didn't think it would be a good thing to get in a habit of calling her baby's father bad names, even if she felt he deserved them.

"Fine, Dickhead then," Caitlyn said, shrugging.

Mitchie laughed again and looked up at the ceiling. She was lying on her back in the middle of her living room floor, Caitlyn beside her, lying on her stomach. She was happy to be spending time with her best friend, though she was sad at the same time. In order to spend this afternoon with Caitlyn, she'd had to ask for the day off at the sub shop, which meant she couldn't spend the afternoon with Alex. The only thing getting her through was knowing that she'd be seeing her that night when she popped into her room.

"Hey, Cay, can I ask you something?" Mitchie asked, turning her head so she was looking at Caitlyn.

"Hmm?" she asked, tearing her eyes from the photo in her hand. The black sunglasses with yellow sides Mitchie had gotten her for Christmas sat atop her head, pushing her brown curls back.

"It's really important…"

Caitlyn set the photo down and clasped her hands in front of her. "You know you can tell or ask me anything. What's up?"

Mitchie stared at Caitlyn for a few seconds, trying to let Caitlyn know just how serious this was with her eyes. "Would you be the Godmother?" she asked, placing her hands on her stomach.

"Really?" Caitlyn asked, her eyes wide as a huge smile stretched across her face. "You're asking me?"

"Of course I am!" Mitchie smiled as well. "You're my best friend. Who else would I ask?"

Caitlyn's smile dropped. "I thought you'd ask Alex, since she's your girlfriend…"

Mitchie sat up, looking at her friend in disbelief. "Caitlyn, she may be my girlfriend, but you're still my _best _friend. Nothing will ever change that. I may love her, but I loved you first, and if you think that I'm going to repla−"

"Whoa, whoa, PAUSE!" Caitlyn exclaimed, sitting up as well which caused her glasses to fall from her head and to the carpet beside her. Mitchie fell silent. "Did you just say you love Alex?"

Mitchie blushed deeply and she tried to hide her smile by hanging her head and letting her hair fall in her face. "Yes…"

Caitlyn had to smile a little at how much Mitchie acted like a little kid with a crush when it came to Alex. "Does she know?"

"Yes," Mitchie said shyly, playing with the bracelet Caitlyn had gotten for her on her wrist. Guitar pick charms hung from it. "I told her. And then she said she loved me back."

"Awe, you said it first." Caitlyn poked Mitchie in the shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah." Mitchie giggled, her cheeks still pink.

"Well, that settles it," Caitlyn said, sitting cross legged and putting her hands on her knees. "I need to meet her now."

"I−Uh…Now?" Mitchie gulped. She didn't know if she was ready for that just yet. Her best friend meeting her girlfriend? She knew she'd already met Harper, but somehow, this felt different. Maybe because it was _her _best friend this time.

"Not _right now_," Caitlyn said. "But in the near future, yes. I want to meet her. I have to make sure she's worthy of your love now that she's earned it. So, when I get back, you're introducing me, whether you want to or not."

"Fine," Mitchie said, knowing it was no use to fight.

"Then it's settled."

Mitchie shrugged. "I guess so."

Caitlyn nodded. "Good."

"Great."

"And Mitch?"

"Hmm?"

"Yes."

Mitchie tilted her head to the side. "Yes what?"

"Yes, I'll be Godmother."

"You will?" Mitchie asked excitedly, a smile stretching across her face.

"Of course," Caitlyn said, smiling also. "You're my best friend. I'd be honored."

"Well…Good, then."

"Yeah, good."

"Great."

"Great."

"Awesome."

"Uh huh."

"Yes…"

Caitlyn laughed. "Stop that."

**

* * *

**

Christmas Eve night, after having a lovely dinner with her parents, Mitchie sat in her room at her desk, making a list of possible names for the baby. So far, she only had about three written down: Chris, Bailey, Jamie…None of them seemed right, though.

She closed her notebook quickly when she heard a knock on her door, not wanting the person who was standing behind it to see what she was doing. She didn't want anyone seeing the names and trying to give their input. This was _her_ baby. _She _would be the one to name it.

"Come in," she said, brushing her hair back behind her ear.

Her father poked his head in and gave her a small smile. "Your mom and I are going walk through Central Park. Do you want to come?"

Mitchie shook her head. "No, you guys go. Have fun."

"You sure?" Steve asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, go ahead." Mitchie smiled. She knew how romantic it could be to walk through Central Park with your lover. She wasn't about to stand in the way of her parents having an experience like the one she'd had with Alex.

Steve gave her one last smile before closing her door again. Mitchie waited, listening for when her parents left. She heard them shuffling to put their coats on, then the opening and closing of their apartment door. As soon as she heard the lock click, she picked up her phone from the desk beside her and typed a quick text to Alex.

_My parents are going out. Come over if you can._

She sent the text and got up, opening her door and walking out into the hallway. She went over to the tree in the living room, getting Alex's present from under the tree just in case her girlfriend popped into her room in the next few seconds. She regarded the presents under the tree with her name on them, remembering being a kid and believing in Santa Claus. Those were the days. She was just a child, nowhere near ready to worry about raising one of her own. Sometimes, she couldn't help feeling like she was still just a kid and that this was all some bizarre dream she would wake from at any moment. That the presents under the tree were actually for her. Sure, she knew there were some CD's and maybe a few music things that were for her, but the majority she knew was stuff for the baby, like bottles and other things she would need.

Her parents seemed to be more excited than her sometimes. Ever since they'd learned her due date, her mother had started buying little gifts for the baby and wrapping them. Seriously, there were a few marked "Baby" under the tree.

Mitchie shook her head, smiling a little at her mother's excitement. She turned from the tiny tree and went back to her room, finding Alex sitting on her bed, smiling.

"Hey, you," Alex said while Mitchie closed the door.

"Hey yourself." Mitchie tossed the gift to Alex, who caught it, and sat beside her on the bed. "Merry Christmas," she said, giving her girlfriend a quick peck on the cheek.

"But Christmas isn't until tomorrow," Alex said, eyeing the gift in her hands. "And the shirt for my birthday was enough, really."

"I couldn't wait. Now stop complaining and open your gift!"

Alex sighed and rolled her eyes at Mitchie's persistence, but undid the bow from the slender box in her hands. That's all that was used to wrap it, a bow, but it was enough. She lifted the lid, and smiled happily when she saw what was inside.

She lifted two drumsticks from the box. They were black, like her wand, with grey tips. A white V was at the bottom.

"You got me Vater drumsticks?" Alex asked, admiring the sticks in her hands. She'd always wanted a pair, but only ever used the kind that came with her drum set.

Mitchie nodded slowly. "I know you play the drums because I've seen your kit in your room. I couldn't get you an elaborate present because the shirt set me back, but I had to get you something. And this guy Andy that I went to Camp Rock with used this kind. He said they were the best. If you don't like them, I underst−"

"Mitchie, I love them!" Alex said, grabbing Mitchie's hand and interrupting her nervous rant. "Mine are all beat up and used. I needed some new ones. Thank you." She offered her a gentle smile.

Mitchie breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. I thought you'd hate it."

"I could never hate anything you give me," Alex said honestly. She set the drumsticks back in their box, then put it to the side. "Now, time for your present. Hold out your hands."

Mitchie raised an eyebrow, but did as told, placing her hands out in the air, side by side with her palms up. Alex slipped her wand from its holder and held it out towards Mitchie's hands. She muttered something under her breath and gave the wand a quick wave, a blue ball of light illuminating from its tip. The ball went straight to Mitchie's hands, got brighter, then disappeared, a wrapped gift taking its place.

"I'll never get tired of that," Mitchie said with a smile as she stared at the gift wrapped in red paper sitting in her hands. It was poorly wrapped with tape everywhere and too much on one side, but that just made it cute to Mitchie. "Did you wrap this yourself?" she asked, holding up the gift.

Alex averted her eyes. "Maybe."

Mitchie giggled and shook her head. "I love it."

"Okay, so I suck at wrapping. You suck at bowling," Alex said with a slight pout. "Well all suck at something."

"I scored in the seventies!" Mitchie defended, though she was smiling. "And your wrapping isn't _that_ bad."

"Just open this ugly gift so we don't have to look at it anymore," Alex said, gesturing towards the present in Mitchie's hands.

"Fine."

Mitchie started tearing the paper from the box, as well as she could with all the tape, that is. Finally, she had all the paper off and all that was left was a plain brown box. She opened the lid and sifted through the tissue paper until she got to the gift. Her jaw dropped as she pulled from the box a beautiful, leather, black guitar strap. Turning it over, she saw her name embroidered in red script.

"Alex, this is amazing," she said somewhat breathlessly. "Seriously, I think this is the nicest present I've ever gotten. It's so…Personal."

"I spent a whole month's paycheck on it," Alex said, scratching the back of her neck.

"You really didn't have to," Mitchie said, seeming to forget she'd spent nearly two hundred dollars on Alex's birthday present. "But thank you." She leaned forward and gave Alex a quick kiss on the lips, pulling away shortly after. "I'm going to put it on right now."

She got up and crossed over to her closet, swinging the door open. She rummaged through the cramped space until she got to her guitar case, pulling it out. She set it on the floor and unzipped it, bringing out her prized possession: her black electric guitar. The strap from Alex matched perfectly. She quickly set to work with removing the old strap and putting the new one on. When she was done, she stood and put her arm and head through the strap, placing the guitar in front of her.

"How's it feel?" Alex asked, standing and stepping closer to Mitchie.

"Good," she said with a wide smile. "Very comfortable. I love it. It's just a little long." She turned, her back to Alex. "Can you adjust the strap for me?"

"Sure." Alex walked over and took hold of the adjuster for the strap, sliding it down Mitchie's back, making the guitar go up farther. "Is that good?"

Mitchie put her hands like she'd be playing. "A little higher." Alex pulled at the adjuster more. "Stop. Perfect!"

Alex let go and took a step back as Mitchie turned around, guitar poised at the perfect length.

"How's it look?" Mitchie asked, looking down at her guitar.

"Great!" Alex said. "Man, did I get the perfect strap or what? It matches so well!"

"Yes, you did a good job," Mitchie commented, running her fingers over the metal strings hesitantly. "Remember that song I was working on?"

Alex nodded. "The one about the person with the bad memory?" She smirked at her own joke.

Mitchie gave a slight chuckle. "Yeah, that one… Well, I finished it. And I told you I'd play it for you when I was finished."

"Concert for Alex?" Alex asked, pointing to herself.

"If Alex gets my amp out and sets it up for me, yes, concert for Alex," Mitchie said, smiling amusedly.

"Closet?" Alex asked, this time pointing to the closet. Mitchie nodded and Alex scrambled forward, moving aside various objects to get to the amplifier. She pulled it out and plugged it in right away. Poking out from Mitchie's guitar case was the end of a chord. Alex reached over and pulled it out, thankful it was the right chord. Mitchie held out the end of her guitar for Alex to plug it in and she did, then plugged the other side into the amp. Once Alex pressed the 'on' button, Mitchie strummed a few chords, testing it.

"Now go to my desk. In the first drawer is my notebook with the song. It's the very first one on top," Mitchie instructed. "Grab a pick off my desk while you're over there, too."

Alex did as Mitchie asked, pulling the notebook from the drawer and grabbing a discarded pick from the pile Mitchie kept on the corner of her desk. She went over to her girlfriend and handed her the pick.

"What do you want me to do with the notebook?" she asked.

"Can you open it and hold it for me so I can read as I go along?" Mitchie asked. "I don't completely have it committed to memory yet."

"Sure." Alex started flipping through the pages, skimming quickly as she sat on Mitchie's bed. She only saw a few lines of each song she passed, but of what she did read, the lines were _really _good. "Is this it?" She stopped when she got to the page with "Don't Forget" written at the top, the neatest page, that is. The two pages before it seemed to be Mitchie's draft page. The one she'd stopped at was very neat and actually legible.

"That's the one," Mitchie said with a nod.

Alex held up the notebook, words facing Mitchie. She was dying to read them, but knew she'd be hearing them soon enough.

Mitchie stepped in front of Alex, taking a few deep breaths. "Don't say anything until I'm done, okay?"

Alex nodded. "Of course."

Mitchie took a few more deep breaths before singing the first line.

"Did you forget," she started strumming, "that I was even alive? Did you forget everything we ever had? Did you forget, did you forget about me?"

Alex sat there in shock as she listened to the beautiful voice coming from Mitchie. Mitchie had told her that she sang, but _WOW_. She'd never expected this. As she went through the first verse, the emotion was so palpable that Alex felt her heart breaking. Or maybe that was just knowing the story that inspired the song.

"Did you regret ever standing by my side?  
Did you forget we were feeling inside?  
Now I'm left to forget about us

But somewhere we went wrong  
We were once so strong  
Our love is like a song, you can't forget it

So now I guess this is where we have to stand  
Did you regret ever holding my hand?  
Never again, please don't forget, don't forget."

Alex's heart was in her throat, watching as Mitchie's closed her eyes, pain etched on her face. She was reliving it.

"We had it all, we were just about to fall  
Even more in love, than we were before  
I won't forget, I won't forget about us."

Mitchie opened her eyes, tears threatening to start falling. Her voice trembled, but came back strong. Alex became confused when the image of Mitchie in front of her began to get blurry. Then she realized, she was crying too.

"But somewhere we went wrong  
We were once so strong  
Our love is like a song you can't forget it."

When Mitchie hung her head, Alex thought the song was over. She was about to stand when suddenly, Mitchie started strumming faster and almost violently. This time when she started singing, her voice wasn't full of pain. It was filled with pure anger.

"Somewhere we went wrong  
We were once so strong  
Our love is like a song, you can't forget it at all."

Alex's jaw dropped as Mitchie sang the last note. It was unbelievable. How in the world did this girl not have a recording contract? How had she not been discovered yet?

"And at last all the pictures have been burned  
And all the past is just a lesson that we've learned  
I won't forget, please don't forget us

Somewhere we went wrong  
Our love is like a song but you won't sing along  
You've forgotten about us."

The last few lines were so soft and heartbreaking. As a tear rolled down her cheek, Mitchie whispered the last few words.

"Don't forget."

Alex dropped the notebook and immediately got to her feet. Mitchie moved her guitar so that it was in back of her moments before her girlfriend's arms wrapped tightly around her. Mitchie's tears fell silently, the pain subsiding by being in Alex's embrace.

"He really hurt you that bad, Mitch?" Alex asked, tears running down her own cheeks.

Mitchie pulled out of the hug and ran her hand down Alex's arm, intertwining their fingers when she got to her hand. She led Alex to the bed, where Alex sat immediately. Mitchie let go of Alex's hand to take her guitar off, then set it down, standing against her bed.

"Yes," she answered finally, sitting beside Alex. "I know that may be hard to understand because I used him, but he did become a very good friend of mine. I actually cared for him, and I thought he cared for me. Having someone you trust do something like that to you really messes with you, whether you have romantic feelings for them or not. I've been carrying with me the feeling of abandonment he left with me for months. There was a hole in my chest that he left." Mitchie placed her hand over her heart. "For a long time, I wasn't okay. But being with you, that's been filling that hole I thought would be left open forever. He didn't just use me, he _forgot _me."

"I'd never do that to you, Mitchie, you know that," Alex said quickly, grabbing Mitchie's hand that wasn't on her chest.

"I know," Mitchie said softly. "Because you have something that he doesn't."

"What's that?" Alex asked curiously.

"A heart." Mitchie removed her hand from her chest and pointed at Alex's, touching it gently with her index finger.

"But my heart isn't my own anymore," Alex said gently, bringing her hand up to wipe away her quick-drying tears with her palm. She then did the same to Mitchie's face.

"What do you mean?" Mitchie titled her said to the side, looking at Alex.

"This," she patted her chest where her heart was, right where Mitchie's finger had been, "belongs to you."

Mitchie smiled. "That was corny." She cupped Alex's cheek in her hand. "But sweet. And you know mine is yours as well."

"Now who's corny?" Alex chuckled lightly.

"Touché." Mitchie dropped her hand, her fingers brushing over the skin of Alex's cheek as it fell. "Hey, Alex?"

"Yes, Love?"

"For my birthday…Can you just put my present in a bag?" Mitchie grinned cheekily, bringing up the earlier discussion of Alex's terrible wrapping skills to lighten the mood.

Alex reached behind Mitchie and grabbed a pillow. She gently hit Mitchie over the head with it, grinning.

"Jerk." Alex laughed. "But yeah, sure. January twenty-sixth. Bagged present. Got it."

Mitchie froze, staring at Alex.

"What…?" Alex asked cautiously.

"I never told you when my birthday was," Mitchie said.

"I know," Alex said. "But one night when you went to the bathroom I got bored was looking through the pictures for the other months on your calendar, and I saw your birthday in January."

"When was that?" Mitchie asked curiously.

Alex stopped to think. "The second night I stayed over after we became a couple?"

"That was weeks ago," Mitchie said.

"I know."

She smiled a little. "You didn't forget…"

Alex returned the smile. "No, I didn't forget."

Both girls were very aware of how dorky they were being, and cheesy on account of the song, but neither cared. The moment had been perfect, and they took advantage of that. Sometimes, it's okay to be a dork for the person you love.

**

* * *

**

Later that night (after Mitchie's parents had come back, Alex popped back to her house, and popped back an hour later), Mitchie once again lay in Alex's arms like every single night since the day Mitchie had started working at the sub shop. Neither girl could sleep. They just lay there, Mitchie's back pressed into Alex's front.

"Hey," Mitchie whispered urgently. "Look! It's snowing."

Alex lifted her head a little to look out the window. By the light of the streetlight, she could make out flakes fluttering silently in the wind. She smiled and put her head down again.

"Yes, it is," she said.

Mitchie turned so that she was facing Alex, the other girl's arms still around her. "Looks like we're going to have a white Christmas," she said with a smile.

"Looks like it," Alex said. No sooner had the words left her mouth than a vibrating sound filled the room. "What the heck?" Alex said, recognizing it as her phone receiving a text message. She turned slightly and stuck her arm out, snatching the device off the desk. She flipped it open to see she had a text from Harper. Curiously, she opened it.

_Merry Christmas :) _the text read. Checking the time, she saw it was sent at exactly midnight.

Alex smiled before typing a quick "you too" and sending it. She closed her phone and placed it back on Mitchie's desk.

"What was that about?" Mitchie asked curiously.

Alex said nothing, just leaned into Mitchie and kissed her gently. She put her hand on the other girl's cheek, rubbing her thumb in gentle circles. Mitchie smiled into it, reaching her hand around to the back of Alex's neck, pushing their lips together more. Alex flicked her tongue against Mitchie's lips and Mitchie opened her mouth. Alex's tongue made its way into the warmth, expecting to immediately start massaging Mitchie's tongue with her own. However, tonight Mitchie decided to fight her for dominance. Their tongues battled, dancing together. Pleasurable tingles washed over Alex and though she tried to hold it in, a low moan escaped her throat, muffled by Mitchie's mouth being pressed against her own. Feeling the moan vibrating in Alex's chest, which was pressed against her own, Mitchie pulled away slowly.

They stared at each other in the darkness, each panting to desperately try to get oxygen back into their lungs.

"Alex?" Mitchie asked between gasps, trying to figure out why she'd just gotten the best kiss of her life.

Alex smiled, still trying to get her breathing under control. "Merry Christmas, Mitchie."

Mitchie's darkened eyes widened. She picked up her head and looked at the clock on her bedside table. It was a few minutes after twelve. It was officially Christmas, her first Christmas with Alex and her last without her baby. She smiled widely and lay back down, looking at her girlfriend with all of the love she had for her in her heart.

"Merry Christmas, Alex."

* * *

**I'm not the biggest fan of this chapter, but I couldn't have done it any other way.**

**Review, eh?  
**


	27. A New Year's Kiss

**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place.**

**Once again, the chapter fell perfectly with the date! I don't plan this, I swear. I just enjoy it.**

**I kind of lost my faith in Demena tonight. It was a bad night. I'm getting it back, though.

* * *

**

Mitchie sat with her hands on her stomach, her new favorite resting spot for them.

_A lot happened this year_, she thought, looking down at her ever-growing stomach. This time next year, she'd be looking down at her eight-month-old son or daughter instead of the bulge under her shirt.

This year had been the worst and best in her entire life all at the same time. Worst because she went to a camp where almost everyone turned against her and instead of gaining confidence like she'd wanted, she was used, abused, left, and ended up being worse off than she was when she went to Camp Rock. But it was also the best because all of the terrible decisions and that huge, horrific act against her that brought her to Alex, whom she didn't know how she could possibly live without.

Just thinking about her girlfriend, she had to smile, but it quickly faded. She was sad, wishing Alex could be with her right then and there. It was New Years' Eve, and all she wanted was a kiss from her girlfriend at midnight, but she wasn't going to get one. Alex was at her house, watching the ball drop on television with her family, like Mitchie was doing with her own. She just knew in her gut was going to twist unpleasantly when she saw her parents kissed at the stroke of twelve. If her parents would just let her have Alex spend the night, she could have at least given her a quick peck on the lips. It wouldn't be the heated kiss she wanted because of her dad's no-public-display-of-affections rule, but it would be better than nothing. But no, her parents made a rule and she had to stick by it.

And her parents wouldn't allow her to sleep at Alex's either. She couldn't believe them. She was going to be seventeen in less than a month and a mother in around four. Couldn't they let her grow up just a little?

"Alright, my special hot chocolate is ready!" Connie exclaimed, walking into the living room with a tray holding three mugs of steaming, homemade hot chocolate. This was different from the kind Mitchie had made for Alex. That had just been a pack she added hot milk to. This was the real stuff that her mom made with special cream and real chocolate. And it was _delicious._

Mitchie took her mug with the whipped cream spilling over the top carefully so she wouldn't burn herself. Staring into the mug, her taste buds became curious. She placed the mug on the coffee table and got up from the couch, leaving her mother and father in the living room, confused expressions on their faces.

Mitchie went over to the fridge and opened it. She reached inside and pulled out the jar of pickles. Perfect. This is just what she'd wanted. Now that she had it, she took her prize to the living room and sat on the couch next to her father again, unscrewing the cap. Her parents watched curiously as she took a whole pickle from the rank liquid, letting it drip back into the jar. Then she dipped it in her hot cocoa, whipped cream and all.

"Oh, Mitchie!" Connie exclaimed, very disgusted as her daughter pulled the nasty green, brown, and white thing from the mug.

Mitchie, ignoring her mother, lifted it to her mouth and took a bite. She'd never been a huge fan of pickles, but this was awesome! It was the perfect combination of sweet and sour. She moaned slightly at the lovely taste and closed her eyes in ecstasy. She chewed and swallowed, and when she opened her eyes again, her parents were staring at her. Her father looked like he was about to puke.

"What?" she asked with a small shrug.

"That's disgusting," Steve said.

Connie sighed. "Looks like someone finally got her crazy cravings."

Mitchie blushed and looked down at her lap. "It's good…"

"I highly doubt that," Steve said, wrinkling his nose.

"Try it," Mitchie said, sliding the jar along the table towards him.

Mr. Torres, always up for a challenge, took a pickle from the jar.

"Oh, Steve, don't," Connie protested when she saw that her husband was actually going to do it. "At least dip it in her hot chocolate instead so you don't ruin yours."

Steve looked at his daughter expectantly. "May I?" He gestured towards her mug.

Mitchie held it out for him and he dipped the pickle into the hot liquid and cream. Mitchie watched hopefully while her mother watched with disgust as Steve put the pickle in his mouth and took a bite. He chewed for a few seconds before stopping. His face screwed up in an unpleasant grimace. Before either Torres woman knew it, Steve had jumped off the couch, leapt over the coffee table, and dashed to the kitchen, where he spit his mouthful of grossness into the sink and turned the faucet on, sticking his mouth under it.

Connie erupted into loud, somewhat obnoxious laughter as Mitchie sat there embarrassed. She really hadn't thought it was that bad.

"So, Mitchie," Connie said as she finished laughing, "have you thought of any names yet?" Of course she was talking about the baby. That was all they ever seemed to talk about these days. When they saw each other, that was. Both were so busy with work that they only ever saw one another on rare occasions, like the holidays.

"Yes," Mitchie said, nodding. "But none of them seem right."

Steve came back into the room, panting and acting like he'd just eaten hot peppers instead of a little pickle dipped in hot chocolate. He plopped himself back down on the couch next to his daughter as his wife watched him from the armchair and shook her head at her husband.

"What have you come up with?" Connie asked, switching her attention back to Mitchie.

"I don't want to say," she said. "None of them are going to end up being that name anyway."

"Oh come on!" Connie leaned forward a little, anxious. "Tell us."

Mitchie set her mug down and rubbed the back of her neck with her hand. "I kind of like Lana… Or maybe Cody if it's a boy."

"Cody is a good name," Steve said, nodding.

Mitchie was about to smile and say 'thank you' when her mother started speaking.

"Yes, but it's so plain," Connie said. "Just like Lana. What about something special or unique, like Ebba for a girl, or Talan for a boy?"

"Where did you come up with those?" Mitchie asked, raising her eyebrows at the odd names she'd never heard before in her life.

"I got a book," Connie said brightly. Still sitting, she reached over to the bookcase and pulled one off the shelf. She leaned forward and handed it to Mitchie. "I folded the edge of the pages with the names I liked and highlighted them."

Mitchie took it and opened it, skimming through. There were a few normal ones, but some were just out there! And her mother seemed to have highlighted all of the strange ones. Abeni, Badru, Desta…

"Ebba is Scandinavian for _boar_?" Mitchie exclaimed when she got to the page, looking up at her mother.

"You wouldn't have to tell people that…" Connie muttered.

Mitchie shook her head and flipped to the T's, anxious to see what Talan meant.

"_Forehead_?" Mitchie said, flaring her nostrils furiously. "You want me to name my child forehead? What's wrong with something normal like Claire or Beth or Greg or Josh?"

"Those names are so plain and overused," Connie said, waving her hand. "You need to name the baby something unique, something that you don't hear very often, like we did. Have you ever met another Mitchie?"

"No," she admitted. "But still, Mom. This is _my _child. Let me name her or him whatever _I _want."

"Well just keep the book and look through it," Connie said.

"Mom, I really don't want−"

"Hey, look, only two minutes left!" Steve exclaimed, pointing to the TV and trying to stop the fight that was starting between his wife and daughter.

"Steve, get the drinks from the fridge!" Connie exclaimed, sitting on the edge of her seat in excitement.

Steve Torres jumped up quickly and dashed to the kitchen for the second time that night. From the refrigerator he grabbed a bottle of wine from him and Connie and a bottle of sparkling grape juice for Mitchie. After he closed the fridge door, he opened a cabinet and took down three wine glasses. Carrying the two bottles carefully in one hand and two glasses in the other (the third being held with his mouth by the rim), he came back into the living room quickly, setting everything on the coffee table. He dashed back into the kitchen and grabbed the corkscrew from its drawer, returning shortly. Mitchie had already taken the foil off of the wine bottle and was working on her grape juice bottle. Steve opened the red wine as quickly as possible.

"Steve, hurry," Connie said as he poured two glasses of red wine; in the one he'd had in his mouth he poured a drink for himself. When he was done, he handed the other to his wife. Mitchie had taken the liberty to pour her own glass of juice.

As Steve sat on the couch again, the countdown started.

"Ten…Nine…" the family started chanting together, excitement growing in their bellies, " Eight… Seven…Six… Five… Four…" the lit up ball slid closer to the bottom of the pole and the people on TV got louder. "Three…Two…One! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

The three Torreses clinked their glasses together. Mitchie raised her glass to her lips and took a sip, looking away when her parents shared a kiss. Jealousy bubbled inside her and she felt resentment towards them for robbing this from her. She'd always wanted someone to kiss at midnight on New Years' and now that she had someone, she wasn't allowed to be with her at that moment.

Her parents each downed their glasses of wine and shared a smile, then smiled at Mitchie. She gave them back a weak one, but she didn't mean it. She was too mad at them. She'd wanted to ring in the New Year with Alex. She wanted a kiss from Alex. And she didn't get that.

**

* * *

**

Alex sat on the couch in between Justin and Max, arms crossed over her chest with a bored expression on her face. She tried to pull off a look of indifference, and it was working, but inside she was seriously depressed. All she wanted was to be with Mitchie at that moment. She'd been with her for Christmas, why couldn't she be with her for New Years' too? Oh yeah, because Mitchie's parents refused to let her spend the night. She knew she'd protested when Mitchie asked, but at that moment she would have gladly slept on a couch or even the floor just to be able to be with Mitchie at midnight, to kiss her girlfriend the moment the new year began. Mitchie had told her it had always been her dream to kiss someone at midnight and that was a dream Alex could make come true, but because of Mitchie's parents, she couldn't. Yet, Alex was still determined to make it happen, and not next year. This year. She'd just have to get a little creative.

In the meantime, though, here she sat, sandwiched in between her annoying, know-it-all brother and her other brother that smelled like lunch meat for some odd reason.

"So, kids, what are your New Years' resolutions?" Theresa asked, trying to break the awkward silence. She'd forced all of her children to come downstairs so they could ring in the new year like a family, but she'd clearly forgotten how un-family-like they were.

"Well, I bet Max's is to not fail," Alex said. "And Justin's is to get a girlfriend."

"That's not true!" Justin protested.

"Yes it is," Max said.

"Maybe _yours_ is," Justin said, pointing across Alex at Max. "But my resolution isn't to get a girlfriend!"

"You're right, Justin, I'm sorry," Alex said with a smirk. "It's to get a _life._"

Justin felt his face turning red with anger. Alex could be such a bitch. Did she have no regard for his feelings? Did she forget the huge favor he did for her?

"No, but I bet _your_ resolution is to get a girlfriend, you little dyke!" Justin yelled. His comment was so out of character, it caught his entire family off guard. He'd never been that rude before and never used that language in his entire life.

Alex had to bite her lip extremely hard to stop herself from yelling back in his face, _I already have a girlfriend, when are you going to get one? _

But she swallowed her comment. Without her retort to hurt Justin, therefore making herself feel better, his comment actually stung. Is that what he thought of her? That she was just a _dyke_? Alex didn't claim to know much, but she knew that was a hate term, and Justin had directed it at her.

Without a word, Alex got up from the couch in a vain attempt to keep her family from seeing the tears forming in her eyes. But they all saw them. And they all heard the sniffle as she opened the door to the lair.

"Justin, apologize. Now," Jerry said sternly. His face was stony and angry. He may not have been comfortable with his daughter being gay, but she was still his little girl, and no one made her cry…Not even his own son.

"Yes sir," Justin said, though he was already about to stand up to go do so when his father ordered him to. He felt like shit for saying that. What had come over him?

The door to the lair had been left open. When he got to the doorway, he heard sniffling. He walked in and found Alex seated in the chair nearest to the doorway. She was sitting in it sideways, curled up in a ball. Her back was to him but when he walked around, at an angle he saw the tears sliding down her cheeks. She looked broken. Justin's gut twisted unpleasantly with guilt and he tried to swallow the lump in his throat. He hated himself.

"Alex?" he said gently, taking a cautious step.

Alex quickly swiped at her eyes at the sound of his voice, trying to remove the evidence of her crying. "Get out of here, Justin," she said hoarsely.

"Alex… Listen…" He took another step towards her.

"I SAID GO!" she yelled angrily, not looking back at him.

Justin became somewhat enraged. He stood up straight, showing his full height. "No," he said. He walked around so that he was standing where she could see him if she'd look forward. "I have something to say, whether you want to hear it or not." Alex stared at the back of the chair, appearing to not have heard him. "_God damn it, Alex, look at me!" _He yelled, bending down and putting his hands on her shoulders, shaking her.

Alex, scared, looked at her brother with wide, bloodshot eyes. Twice in one night he'd used tones with her he'd never used before and said words she didn't even think were in his vocabulary.

When he saw he had her attention, Justin loosened his grip on Alex's shoulders and let out a sigh. "Look, I'm sorry I called you a dyke, okay? You know I love you and support you no matter who you're attracted to. I shouldn't have said it. I only called you that out of anger, because Alex…You really pissed me off. After all the crap I've done for you over the years, you still treat me no better than something you find stuck to the bottom of your Converse. And after everything I've done for you this year alone." Justin shook his head. "You know you'd be in military school right now if it wasn't for me."

Alex looked down, ashamed. He was right. He really saved her ass with that one, just like he'd done thousands of times in the past. And how did she repay him? She tormented and harassed him.

"I know, Justin," she said quietly, looking back up at him. "I don't know why I do it, I just do. It's like I can't help it."

"Well can you try?" Justin asked softly, somewhat desperately. "Alex, I can't deal with you busting my chops all the time anymore."

Alex tried to hold back a giggle, despite the situation, but it was no use. She had to let it out. "Busting your chops?" she asked with a light laugh.

"It's an expression," Justin said with a small smile.

"It's a lame one," Alex said, smiling as well. "But yes, I'll try. That'll be my resolution, to try to be nicer to my brother."

"Just one brother?" Justin asked, standing and taking his hands off Alex's shoulders. "You have two brothers. What about Max?"

Alex stood, wiping the remaining tears from her face. "Let's face it, no one really cares about Max all that much. It's no big deal if I mess with him."

Justin was about to say something in his younger brother's defense, but stopped, knowing Max really did bring it upon himself.

"True…" he said with a shrug.

Alex smiled. "So…You and me…Are we good?"

Justin looked at her. "I don't know. Are we?"

"I think so." Alex nodded. "I'm sorry, Justin."

"Me too."

And with that, Justin put his arms around his sister's shoulders and pulled her into a hug. Alex smiled and wrapped her arms around her brother's waist, giving him a squeeze. She felt good, happy, like a light had been turned on. She had a strange feeling that from now on, things would actually be better.

"_Kids, the ball's about to drop!" _Jerry yelled from the living room.

Alex and Justin pulled out of the hug, looking to the doorway.

"Ready to ring in the New Year?" Justin asked with a grin.

"Yeah," Alex said, smiling as well. "I have a feeling it's going to be a good one."

Justin put his arm around Alex's shoulder and together they walked back to the living room, ready to celebrate with the rest of their family.

**

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**

Mitchie tossed and turned in her bed, trying desperately to sleep. She'd gone to bed almost immediately after midnight, anxious to get away from her parents, but she couldn't sleep. There was too much going on inside her head. Plus, she'd had hot chocolate pretty late and she wasn't off her sugar high yet.

She faced the wall, knowing she'd never get to sleep as long as Alex's arms weren't around her. She'd grown way too used to having her girlfriend sleeping beside her that she didn't know how to go to sleep by herself. She was doomed to lie awake until Alex decided to come over. And if Alex had for whatever reason decided to spend the night in her own bed at her own house, then Mitchie was most likely going to lie awake for hours.

Suddenly, she felt the bed dip. Mitchie's heart leapt and a smile made its way to her face as relief flooded her body. She'd been afraid she wasn't going to come tonight.

"Hey, you," she said quietly when she turned over to see Alex sitting on the edge of her bed, smiling down at her. Her hair was curly and falling in her face slightly. The moonlight streaming in from the window illuminated Alex's face just the right amount. She looked absolutely gorgeous, and she just seemed so…Happy. Maybe it was just Mitchie, but something seemed different about her girlfriend.

"Hey yourself," Alex said, reaching out a hand to cup Mitchie's cheek. "I thought you were already asleep."

"How could I sleep?" Mitchie placed her hand on top of Alex's to make sure it stayed on her cheek, where she loved it to be. "You weren't here with me."

Alex smiled bashfully and looked at the comforter quickly, looking back to Mitchie right after. "Well I'm here now."

"Yes you are," Mitchie said. "Come on, lie down with me." She scooted over as Alex repositioned herself so that she was lying beside Mitchie.

Alex's left arm instantly draped over Mitchie's waist, her right coming up between them so that it wasn't under her. Alex's palm was facing upwards, and Mitchie placed her own right hand on top of it, their palms resting against each other. Mitchie's fingers wove between Alex's, a perfect fit as usual. The girls shared a loving smile as Mitchie felt small nudges from within her womb, which she'd gotten used to over the past week. The baby surely had become active recently.

"It's kicking again," Mitchie said, glancing at her stomach.

Alex pulled her arm closer to her body so that she could place her hand on Mitchie's stomach. She moved her hand slowly across until she felt a small tap beneath her palm. She stopped there and felt another bump a few moments later, causing her to smile widely.

"Active little thing, isn't it?" She placed her arm back in its previous position, draped across Mitchie's waist.

"Sure is," she said, nodding. "How was your night?"

"Interesting," Alex said with a thoughtful look on her face. "Bad at one part, but it ended on a good note."

"Care to explain?" Mitchie asked with raised eyebrows.

"Well, I was making fun of Justin again," Alex said. "And then he called me a dyke."

Mitchie let out a disbelieving gasp. "What a prick," she said, even though she liked Justin. However, she liked Alex a little more (a LOT more).

"I deserved it," Alex said quickly. "But he made me cry… So I went hide in the wizard lair."

"You have a lair?" Mitchie asked. "What the heck is that?"

"Just where we keep all of our wizard stuff and dad teaches us our lessons," she said, anxious to get on with the story. "Anyway, Justin came in and tried to apologize. I told him to go away, but he wouldn't until I heard him out. He said he was sorry about what he said, but he only did it because he was tired of me being a bitch to him all the time, especially after all he's done for me. I guess I just never thought about how much he's done. I really do have a lot to thank him for. He kept me out of military school." Alex looked into Mitchie's eyes. "And he's the reason I met you."

Mitchie smiled. "Well then maybe I should be thanking him, too."

Alex chuckled. "Maybe. But in the meantime, we made up. And I think things are going to get better between us."

"Good."

Suddenly, a vibrating sound filled the room. Alex reached into the waistband of her pants, where she'd stashed her cell phone, which was vibrating repeatedly. Alex flipped it open and hit a button, making the vibrating stop.

"Who could be calling you at a time like thi−" Mitchie's question was cut off by Alex leaning forwards and kissing her soundly on the lips.

Mitchie squeezed Alex's hand and smiled into the kiss, loving having been caught off guard like that. There was something romantic about it. The kiss was short and sweet and when they pulled away, Mitchie's stomach was going crazy with butterflies and kicks from her baby.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"You're from Texas, right?"Alex asked, even though she knew where Mitchie was from.

"Yes…" Mitchie said hesitantly, confused.

"And you were born in Texas?"

"Yeah…"

"I set this alarm to go off at one in the morning New York time," Alex said, holding her phone up. "It is now one here. We're an hour ahead of Texas. That means, it is midnight in Texas right now. You were born in Texas, and to me, that means your life goes in accordance with Texas time."

Mitchie's eyes widened as she realized exactly what Alex was saying. "So, you're telling me…"

"Happy New Year, Mitchie," Alex said with a smile.

Mitchie's heart swelled as she gazed at her simply amazing girlfriend. Only an hour before, she'd been completely furious with her parents, but now, she was thanking them, because this was so much more special to her than it would have been if she'd had it the way she thought she wanted.

"Happy New Year, Alex," Mitchie said.

Then, she leaned forward and gave her girlfriend a tender kiss on the lips, no doubt in her mind that this year was going to be the best of her entire life.

* * *

**This has been way too happy for me recently. Shit needs to happen soon.**

**I'm very sorry for any mistakes. I read it over, but I bet I missed some. That's okay, though. We all make mistakes. Point of the story. And yes, I realize the ending was very similar to last chapter. Get off my back.**

**REVIEW!**


	28. One Of You Is Bad Enough!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place or Camp Rock.**

**Demi won her PCA! Yay! I squealed. This would have been up a few hours ago, but I watched the awards. I'm happy with the results, yes I was pissed they didn't present her award.**

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Two days after the New Year found Alex and Mitchie in Mitchie's apartment after their lesson was over. Usually they'd be at work, but the first few days after a holiday were always slow business days, so Mr. Russo had allowed the girls to come in later. This was perfect because today was the day Caitlyn was coming back from visiting her mom in California, and she wanted to meet Alex _right away._

Alex was a bundle of nerves. She was finally going to meet Mitchie's best friend. Well, officially meet her. She'd seen her that day she'd come to Mitchie's apartment unannounced, but ran away as soon as she saw her. That was the day she'd come out to Mitchie and spilled the wizard secret. That seemed so long ago. Now, here she was, after having dated Mitchie for over a month, ready to meet the best friend. This was a big step.

What if Caitlyn didn't like her? Would that affect her relationship with Mitchie? She knew that if Harper didn't like Mitchie she'd continue to date the cute little brunette, but it would be in the back of her mind that Harper didn't approve. Of course, though, Harper did approve. Harper loved Mitchie, especially since she made Alex so happy. And as far as Alex knew, she made Mitchie happy. So Caitlyn should already like her just because of that, right? After all, it had been Caitlyn who sent Mitchie after her on that fateful day.

Alex bit into her thumbnail as she turned to start on her way back across the room for yet another round of pacing, which she'd been doing since Justin had left nearly twenty minutes earlier. She'd been staring at the floor, lost in her own thoughts. Now she looked up to see Mitchie at the opposite end of the small room, her eyes downcast. When Mitchie glanced up, the girls locked gazes.

Alex released her nail and took her hand away from her mouth. "Why are you pacing?" she asked confusedly, finally realizing her zombie-like walks across the room had been accompanied the whole time.

"I'm nervous," Mitchie admitted. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

What if Caitlyn didn't like Alex? What would she do then? She had a feeling Caitlyn would actually like Alex, but there was still that chance she wouldn't. And Mitchie was a worrier, so of course that was the thought that stuck in her head.

"You're nervous?" Alex's anxiety heightened. "I'm the one that should be nervous! You already know that she likes you!"

"She'll love you, Alex, okay?" Mitchie said, crossing the room towards her girlfriend and taking her hands in her own.

"But you said you're nervous!" Alex said loudly, somewhat frantically. "Why should you be nervous? You think she's going to hate me, don't you?"

Before Mitchie could answer, there was a knock at the door.

"Calm down," Mitchie instructed, giving Alex's hands a squeeze. "She'll love you simply because I do, okay?"

"Then why are you nervous?" Alex asked desperately. She'd never been this afraid of someone not liking her. She hadn't even been scared that Mitchie wouldn't like her. She'd been nervous to meet Mitchie's parents, but she wasn't about to have a panic attack when she met them, like she was now. What was wrong with her? She never gave a shit before if the friends of the person she was dating didn't like her. But maybe that was because those boys didn't really matter. Mitchie matter, though, Mitchie mattered a lot.

Another knock came from behind the door.

Not answering Alex's question, Mitchie let go of the other girl's hands and made her way to the door. She took a few deep breaths before putting her hand on the doorknob and turning it, swinging the door open. There Caitlyn stood, wearing what looked like a normal smile to everyone else in the world. But to Mitchie, it was a forced smile.

"What's wrong?" was the first thing Mitchie said. Not a 'hi,' or a 'hello.' She forgot about why Caitlyn was there, that she was supposed to be meeting Alex, who was standing in the room right behind her. She forgot her anxiety and fears. All she wanted to know was why Caitlyn was faking a smile, and why she thought she could get away with it.

Caitlyn's smile faltered, but only for a second. "Nothing," she said. "Are you going to let me in?"

Mitchie was about to protest and keep Caitlyn waiting in the hall until she told her what was going on, but when she saw Caitlyn's hazel-brown eyes flick to Alex, she knew why Caitlyn was faking a smile. She didn't know Alex yet, didn't trust her. There was something going on, but she didn't want just anyone to know about it. She'd tell Mitchie, but not until they were alone.

"Yeah, come on in," Mitchie said, taking a step back to let her friend in.

As Mitchie closed the door behind her, Caitlyn shrugged off her thick winter coat, resting it on the couch. As soon as she did so, she stepped towards Alex.

"Alex, right?" Caitlyn said with a slight smirk.

"Yeah," Alex said, her cheeks a little pink. Last time she'd seen this girl, she'd made a fool of herself. What must she think of her?

"Not gonna run off this time, are you?" Caitlyn joked, sticking her hand out for a shake.

Alex stood up tall and took the other girl's hand confidently. "No running. I'm here to stay," she said, not a slight tremor in her voice.

Caitlyn watched Alex's face carefully. It was determined and honest. As they locked eyes, an understanding passed between the two girls. They both knew that they were talking about something much bigger than just that particular moment. The running they meant was figurative, not literal. Caitlyn had been testing Alex, and Alex knew it. Caitlyn had, in a very sneaky way, asked Alex if she was going to leave Mitchie and hurt her. And Alex answered with what she felt was complete honesty. She had no intention of hurting Mitchie or leaving her. She was here for the long haul. And that's what Caitlyn wanted to know.

When Caitlyn sensed the genuineness of Alex's words, she gave a soft smile. "Good. It's nice to meet you, Alex."

"Nice to meet you too, Caitlyn," Alex said, letting go of Caitlyn's hand and letting out the breath she'd been holding.

She'd passed.

Mitchie, who had been watching the entire interaction, cleared her throat to get their attention. Her best friend and girlfriend both turned their attention to her.

"Well…That was weird," Mitchie said, not sure what had just happened.

Caitlyn chuckled slightly. "Would you expect anything less from me?"

"Or me?" Alex chimed in with a grin.

"Don't you two start ganging up on me already!" Mitchie said, pointing her finger back and forth between the two.

"We're not, ya crazy!" Caitlyn said, that smile coming back. It wasn't Caitlyn's smile, and that bothered Mitchie.

She locked eyes with her best friend, seeing right through her. There was a storm brewing inside of her, something weighing on her mind.

"Did you enjoy your visit with your mom, Caitlyn?" Alex asked to change the subject, going over to sit on the couch. She'd remembered Mitchie saying something about Caitlyn being with her mom for the holidays.

"Very much," Caitlyn said, sitting beside Alex, who was closer to the armchair.

"Where does she live?" Alex asked curiously.

"California."

"I've always wanted to go to California!"

Mitchie, feeling slightly dejected and left out, went to sit in the armchair beside the couch since there was no room for her on the sofa with the way Caitlyn and Alex were sitting.

"It's so nice there this time of year," Caitlyn said, actually smiling for real this time. She loved talking about her home. "It's not too hot, but it's not cold since it never gets really cold in Los Angeles, unlike here."

"Is it always sunny and nice?" Alex leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands.

"Actually, there's a lot of smog," Caitlyn admitted with a laugh. "But since you're from New York, I doubt that would bother you."

Alex lifted her head and shook it, smiling. "Smog is clean air to me. I get dizzy when I go anywhere with fresh air."

"Well you and Mitchie should come with me one time when I go visit my mom," Caitlyn said, patting Alex on the knee.

"That would be so awesome!" Alex exclaimed, smiling widely. "Of course, it would have to be after the baby's born." She glanced at Mitchie's stomach, then up at her girlfriend's face.

Mitchie was staring at the floor, her face somewhat sad. Alex frowned slightly, trying to figure out what was wrong. Then she realized what it was: she and Caitlyn were completely leaving her out of the conversation.

"Of course," Caitlyn said, then looking at Mitchie too. When she saw her friend's long face, she had the same realization as Alex.

Mitchie held back tears as she listened to her best friend and girlfriend talk without her, seeming to forget she was there. Funny. She'd been worried Caitlyn wouldn't like Alex, but now the problem was she seemed to like her a little too much.

Mitchie looked up when she felt a soft hand rest upon her own, which was on her knee. Alex was looking at her with gentle eyes and a kind smile.

"Mitchie, what do you think about us going to Caitlyn's house in California after the baby's born, once we can travel with him or her?" Alex asked softly.

"Sounds nice," Mitchie said quickly, giving a weak smile. She wanted to seem okay, but she wasn't. And she knew these were the two people that were able to see right through her, so she braced herself for questioning. But it never came. They already knew.

"Hey," Alex said softly when Mitchie went to look away.

Mitchie locked eyes with Alex. "Yeah?" she asked.

"I love you," Alex said, squeezing Mitchie's fingers.

"And I love you, too," Caitlyn chimed in. "Just not the same way she does," she said, pointing at Alex.

Mitchie had to chuckle. Her heart lifted, and she felt better. "I love both of you, too."

"She loves me more," Caitlyn said in a teasing manner while poking Alex in the shoulder.

Alex gasped. "She does not!"

"Does too!"

"I love you both the same amount, just in a different way!" Mitchie exclaimed with a smile, stopping the mock fight between the two girls whom were most dear to her.

"Well there goes my dream of a threesome," Alex said, taking her hand from Mitchie's.

"Alex, that's not funny," Mitchie said seriously.

"That's not a joke," Alex said, not taking her eyes from Mitchie. She held a disappointed expression for as long as she could before cracking a grin, soon followed by a round of laughter. "Okay, it's totally a joke," she said in between giggles.

Mitchie breathed a sigh of relief and punched Alex lightly in the shoulder. "Don't do that!" she said, smiling and trying to hold in her own laughter.

"Come on, Mitchie, it could be fun," Caitlyn said, grinning.

Mitchie stopped smiling and gave her best friend a look.

"Kidding," Caitlyn said, holding her hands up.

"Yeah, you better be," Mitchie said.

"Good joke," Caitlyn said to Alex.

Alex smiled, enjoying the praise. "Thanks."

Mitchie shook her head. "I take back what I said about loving both of you. I hate you," she said, slightly smiling to show she didn't really mean it.

"Oh you do, do you?" Alex asked with raised eyebrows.

"Because we can leave, you know," Caitlyn said, jutting her thumb over her shoulder towards the door.

"Yeah, just say the word." Alex nodded her agreement.

"Don't either of you dare," Mitchie said, narrowing her eyes playfully. "You know, I think introducing you two might have been the worst thing I could have done."

"Why's that?" Alex asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Because one of you is bad enough!" Mitchie laughed. "But the two of you together are too much. You're ganging up on me."

"We're only picking at you because we love you!" Caitlyn protested.

"Yeah right." Mitchie crossed her arms over her chest.

"We are!" Alex said. "Come sit here." She scooted a little, making enough room on the couch for Mitchie and patting the spot she'd just made for her.

Mitchie rolled her eyes, but went to sit in between Caitlyn and Alex. As soon as she sat, two sets of arms wove around her. Alex and Caitlyn sandwiched Mitchie between them, not squeezing her too tightly so they wouldn't harm the baby, but enough to convey how much they cared about her.

"We love you, Mitchie," Alex said in a stupid baby voice.

"Yeah, Mitchie," Caitlyn said, mimicking Alex.

"I love you guys too," Mitchie said, rolling her eyes again, but she was smiling.

Alex grinned and pressed her lips to Mitchie's cheek. Caitlyn followed suit, kissing Mitchie's other cheek. Mitchie laughed and tried to push them away.

"Stop that!" she said, shoving their shoulders and getting their lips off her face. "That's weird!"

"Once again, would you expect anything else?" Caitlyn quirked an eyebrow.

"No," Mitchie said, shaking her head. "And I wouldn't want anything else. You guys are perfect."

"Awe," Alex cooed. "_Cheesy_."

And with that, all three girls erupted into a fit of giggles because once again, there was no denying it. They were too cheesy for their own good.

**

* * *

**

"Okay, this place confuses me. Is it a sandwich shop or a subway station? Which one?" Caitlyn looked around the Waverly Sub Station curiously. She was sitting on a stool across from the register, which Mitchie sat behind while Alex walked around filling orders.

"It's a subway themed restaurant," Mitchie explained.

"I don't get it," Caitlyn said, shaking her head.

"Then stop thinking about it and just accept it," Mitchie said with a grin.

"Fine." Caitlyn huffed and put her elbows on the counter.

Alex came back behind the counter and grabbed another basket with a sandwich in it. "How many hours until closing?" she asked Mitchie.

"Two," Mitchie answered.

Alex threw her head back and groaned before stomping off in the direction of the tables.

Mitchie giggled as she walked her girlfriend sulk away. "She's so lazy." She shook her head amusedly before turning her attention back to Caitlyn, who was staring at the counter intently, her emotions showing on her face because she was letting her guard down. "So, are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

Caitlyn looked up, this time not bothering to fake a smile. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Know when something's wrong with me?"

"Well how do you always know when something's wrong with me?"

Caitlyn shrugged. "I know you."

Mitchie nodded. "And I know you." She patted Caitlyn's hand. "Come on, tell me what's going on."

Caitlyn sighed, knowing Mitchie wouldn't leave her alone until she spilled her guts. "My mom told me something I wasn't prepared for when I went visit her."

Mitchie waited for her to continue, but when she didn't, she asked, "What was it?"

"Well, she asked me how my dad was. I said he was good, but then I started complaining about how he's so hard to talk to and how he doesn't pay attention to me. She started defending him, saying it wasn't his fault, like she always does. I usually just brush it off and let it go, but this time it really pissed me off. So I started yelling at her." Caitlyn stopped and swallowed the lump in her throat before continuing. "And that's when she sat me down and told me he has something called Asperger's Syndrome."

Mitchie blinked a few times. "He has what?"

"Asperger's," Caitlyn said quietly. "It's okay if you don't know what it is, I didn't know what it was either. I had to look it up. At first I didn't believe my mom, but once I learned about it, I don't know how I didn't realize there was something off about him before. I just thought he was a jerk. Turns out, it really isn't his fault."

"What is As…Asp…That thing?" Mitchie asked curiously.

"It's on the Autism spectrum, but isn't considered Autism, I think." Caitlyn shook her head. "I don't know, they don't make it clear on those websites if it is or isn't Autism. Basically, it's like a social disorder. People with Asperger's can't pick up on social cues, have a hard time making eye contact. My dad, he doesn't know how to act around people, so he just puts on this creepy smile because that's how he's been taught to look when he's around people. And he won't look directly at people. He'll look at their clothes, their shoes, anything but their face or eyes."

Mitchie thought back to the day she'd gone to visit Caitlyn. Yes, Mr. Geller had been smiling rather oddly for no apparent reason. And then she remembered he'd scanned her up and down, which made her uncomfortable. He'd never once looked her in the eye, though.

"He only has a mild form of it, be he still doesn't know how to show empathy or what he's really feeling," Caitlyn said. "You can't talk to him about anything he doesn't know a great deal about because he doesn't know how to have a conversation. For my dad, you have to talk to him about books or the stock market. He loves books, has them all over his study. And the reason we're as well off as we are is he made some pretty good investments in stocks and inherited some from my grandfather."

Mitchie nodded, recalling the bookcase she'd caught a glimpse of before Mr. Geller closed the door to his study. It had been packed with books.

"And people with Asperger's have a hard time dealing with change," Caitlyn said sadly. "He was so used to living alone. So when I moved in, it was just easier to stick with his routine of fending for just himself instead of changing his life to accommodate me."

Tears started to form in Caitlyn's eyes, and Mitchie's heart ached for her friend.

"All I've ever wanted was a relationship with him," Caitlyn said, a tear sliding down her cheek. "But I will never truly have one. He doesn't know how to interact with people his own age, let alone his teenage daughter. He isn't capable of it. No matter how hard I try to get close to him, it will never happen. My father and I are doomed to be strangers for the rest of our lives."

Mitchie couldn't stand seeing Caitlyn this broken. She was supposed to be Mitchie's rock. But her rock was crumbling. She needed something, some reassurance. Her father had Asperger's, but Mitchie didn't. Mitchie was capable of picking up on the emotions of others. She was capable of knowing what Caitlyn needed. And right now, what Caitlyn needed was a hug.

Mitchie slid off her stool and walked around the counter, instantly wrapping the curly haired girl in her arms. Caitlyn buried her face in Mitchie's neck, not really caring that she was crying in public. She'd been holding it in for too long, ever since her mother had told her. She'd wanted to protect Caitlyn, she'd said. That's why she took so long to tell her. Well, a lot of good that did. She was more hurt by the fact that she'd been lied to her entire life. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, right?

Alex was walking back to the counter to get some more straws for her apron pocket when she saw Mitchie holding Caitlyn. She didn't get jealous, which she was proud of herself for. She knew it was nothing. Well, not _nothing_, but nothing she needed to worry about. Mitchie caught Alex's eye and gave her a gentle smile, trying to show her that it was completely friendly, though Alex already knew that.

_She okay?_ Alex mouthed, stuffing straws into her apron.

Mitchie shook her head _no_ and squeezed Caitlyn tighter. She'd explain to Alex later, if that was okay with Caitlyn. Right now, though, her best friend needed her.

Alex nodded, understanding. She walked away to leave the best friends alone, knowing she'd want the same if it was her and Harper. Besides, a customer had just walked in and she needed to take his order.

"Welcome to the Waverly Sub Station. What can I get for you?" Alex asked when she got to the table. She didn't even look at the customer, keeping her eyes down as she dug for her notepad in her apron pocket.

"Well, I'm still waiting on that phone number, as I recall," a boy said.

Alex's head shot up and she was met with a somewhat familiar pair of blue eyes. The boy grinned at her, seeming to be amused by her surprise.

"Gabe?" Alex asked.

"That's me." And so it was. His black hair had grown a little since the first time he'd been in the sub shop, but Alex couldn't forget him, not after he'd failed miserably at hitting on her. "So how about that phone number?"

"I thought I told you in order to get it, you couldn't hit on me," Alex said, placing her hand on her hip.

Gabe feigned offense. "I haven't hit on you yet."

"That smile says otherwise." Alex grinned cheekily at him. She really did enjoy his persistence. It flattered her. He had no chance, but it was still nice.

"What can I say?" Gabe shrugged, grinning again. "Pretty girls make me smile."

Alex rolled her eyes a little. "Okay, you and I need to have a talk," she said, sliding into the booth across from him. "Look, I like you."

Gabe's smile widened. "I like you, too."

"No, not like that," Alex said quickly. "I told you the first time we met, and I'll tell you again: I can't offer you anything other than friendship. There's a reason for that."

"What, do you have a boyfriend?" he asked.

"No, a girlfriend."

Gabe started to laugh, but when he saw the serious look on Alex's face, stopped. "Wait, what?"

Alex sighed. "See that girl with the straight brown hair talking to the curly haired girl?" she asked, nodding towards the counter, where Mitchie had stopped hugging Caitlyn and was now speaking softly with her. "That's my girlfriend."

Gabe poked his head out the booth and looked over his shoulder. He frowned and looked at Alex again. "That _pregnant_ girl?"

"What it, buddy, that's my girlfriend," Alex said dangerously through clenched teeth, her face flushing.

"Whoa, sorry," Gabe said, holding up his hands. "I didn't mean to offend you, I was just surprised." He put his hands down on top of the table. "I guess that makes sense, though. She came in last time I was here. You were talking to me, and then as soon as she showed up, you forgot I existed." He smirked.

"Yeah, well, she works here now," Alex said. "So if you keep coming in, you're going to be seeing a lot of her."

"You know, you could have told me you were gay the first time we met," Gabe said. "That could have saved me today's embarrassment."

Alex blushed a little. "Sorry. It's just not the kind of thing you randomly spill to a stranger. You don't know how they'll react."

Gabe waved off her comment. "Hey, don't worry about it. I understand. And for the record, I wouldn't have cared. I'm pretty open. My brother's gay. He goes to college at NYU."

"Really?" Alex asked, a little surprised. "Huh, small world."

Gabe smiled, nodding. "Yeah, small world… So that friendship offer…Is that still on the table?"

"Why are you so determined to be my friend?" Alex asked.

"Honestly," Gabe sighed, "I just moved here from Colorado. The day I met you was only my third day in the city. I'm here because my mom got remarried and my stepdad's job is here. We don't have a lot of money, so I go to this really crappy public school and all of the kids scare me. I haven't made a single friend. I'm going out of my mind with boredom in our tiny apartment. I need friends. I need something to do, to get out."

Alex stared at him for a few seconds before she started laughing. "That's the saddest story I've ever heard."

"It's true," Gabe said, laughing himself. He knew how pathetic it sounded, but it was his life.

"Sure it is."

"It is!" Gabe said. "I swear on my life." He put one hand on his chest and held the other in the air.

"Okay, I believe you." Alex chuckled. "Stop being dramatic."

Gabe grinned and put his hands down. "Once again, friendship offer…Is that still good?"

"If you want it," Alex said.

"Well, I'll take it."

"Great." Alex smirked. "Now can I please have your order before my dad kills me for not doing my job?"

Gabe laughed. "Give me a classic club, no mayo."

"Can do," Alex said, getting up from the booth.

"Wait," Gabe said, stopping Alex as she started to walk away.

"What?"

"When can we hang out…Ya know, as friends?" Gabe asked with a small smile.

Alex checked over her shoulder to see if Mitchie was still paying all her attention to Caitlyn. She was.

"January 26th," Alex said quietly. She took out her notepad and wrote down her phone number quickly, ripping the page off and handing it to Gabe. "Text me later so I have your number and can give you more info closer to the date."

"What's January 26th?" Gabe asked curiously, glancing down at the scribbled number in his hand.

"It's my girlfriend's birthday. I'm throwing her a party, and you're invited."

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**The thing about Caitlyn's dad: I feel the need to address it. Yes, I planned it from the moment I started writing about him. I am educated about Asperger's because a member of my family has it. It's actually hard to deal with sometimes. It affects the whole family. I made Caitlyn not know much about it because she is just learning. She wouldn't be an expert just yet. I know way more about it than she does. I just wanted to say that and point it out. If you want to know more about it, feel free to look it up.**

**Review.**


	29. I Was Thinking I Love Her

**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place. Nor do I own Facebook or Twitter.**

**By the way, reminder: My twitter is xxMusicxSpazzxx. Follow me. Duh.**

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Caitlyn Geller walked into the Waverly Sub Station a week after having returned to New York City. She was feeling a lot better than she had been when she'd first gotten back to the state, but she was still down. After all, she'd heard life changing news. She needed time to adjust.

Now, though, her now-usual depression was replaced with suspicion and curiosity. She and Alex had exchanged cell phone numbers a few days before, and she got a text from the Latino girl during the school day telling her to meet her at the sub shop after school and not to tell Mitchie. She felt this was odd, but she wanted to know what was going on, so she agreed.

Alex looked up when she heard the bell over the door of the restaurant chime. Caitlyn was standing in the doorway, dressed in workout clothes, or at least what Alex thought were workout clothes. She didn't actually own any since she didn't work out, but that's what people wore in movies when they worked out.

"Thanks for coming," Alex said, approaching Caitlyn.

"You have fifteen minutes, Russo," Caitlyn said. "I have dance practice this afternoon and I can't be late." She put her hands on her hips and gazed at Alex. "So what's up?"

"Come sit in the back with me," Alex said, nodding towards the subway cart-looking eating area.

Alex had been wanting to get Caitlyn alone ever since before they met. She needed to talk to her. Mitchie had been exhausted after lessons that day, not having slept much since the baby kept her up all night kicking. So, Alex convinced her to stay home and take a nap, to come in to work later when she felt more refreshed. As soon as she agreed, Alex sent the text to Caitlyn.

Alex slipped into the booth she usually sat in when she had to have private conversations in the sub shop. She wondered why no one ever sat back here. It was nice and quiet, and not to mention private. Whatever, it helped her out a lot.

"Okay," Caitlyn said, sliding in across from Alex. "I'm in the back with you. Now what's going on?"

"Mitchie's birthday is coming up," Alex said, cutting right to the chase. No use beating around the bush. "I want to throw a party for her."

Caitlyn smiled a little. "Alex, she'd love that."

"That's what I'm hoping." Alex nodded quickly. "Only, I don't know who to invite. I don't exactly have too many friends, and the only one of Mitchie's friends that I know is you. I can take care of inviting my friends, but for Mitchie's friends, I'd need your help."

"What can I do?" Caitlyn asked, leaning her elbows on the table.

"Do you have the numbers of any of your friends from Camp Rock?" Alex asked. "I know it's a lot asking them to come all the way up here just for her party, but some of them may live near here."

Caitlyn bit her lip, thinking for a moment before releasing it again. "Honestly, Alex, I have the numbers, but I don't think Mitchie would want them at her party."

"Why not?" Alex asked, clearly puzzled.

"Because they don't know she's pregnant," Caitlyn said quietly, as if telling a secret even though no one else was around. "And I seriously doubt she wants them to find out. I'm the only one from Camp Rock that knows, and I'm pretty sure she intends to keep it that way."

"Is she afraid they'll find out and tell the father or something?" Alex asked.

"That's most likely exactly what she's afraid of." Caitlyn nodded. "She still isn't sure if she wants Shane in the kid's life. Or at least she wasn't last time she and I talked about it, which, come to think of it, was a long time ago."

"If she really wanted him in the baby's life, she would have found a way to get in touch with him by now," Alex said, grabbing the salt shaker and sliding it back and forth along the table in between her hands. "I know he had his number disconnected because she told me, but I know her. She's a determined girl. If she really wanted Shane to know about the baby, she would have found a way to get in touch with him. Facebook, Twitter, e-mail. Something."

"It's not that simple, Alex," Caitlyn muttered. She knew Alex was still in the dark about _which_ Shane was the father and hoped Alex wouldn't press her for answers, because she could not give them. Only Mitchie could tell her girlfriend that the father of her child was one of the most popular teen stars of their generation.

"Still, I know she would have found a way to notify him," Alex said, putting the salt shaker back and not thinking there was anything out of the ordinary about Caitlyn's comment.

Caitlyn breathed a sigh of relief, but passed it off as a normal one. "I guess so…"

"I know so," Alex said in a confident tone. "I know my girlfriend."

Caitlyn studied Alex for a few moments before nodding. "I suppose you do. So if you know her so well, what's your idea for a party?"

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Ten minutes later, Caitlyn left the sub shop with a smile on her face. She was starting to feel happy again. But this happiness wasn't for her. No. It was for her best friend. It was for Mitchie.

Alex's plan for Mitchie's birthday was the sweetest thing Caitlyn had ever heard in her entire life. Sure, there weren't going to be many people since none of them had all that many friends in New York, but Mitchie was going to love it all the same.

Caitlyn had had a good feeling about Alex from the very beginning and she was happy to see that she'd been right. Alex was actually really good for Mitchie and just what she needed, especially now with the baby coming. She just hoped that Alex continued to step up to the plate as time went on.

But as of that moment, Alex was absolutely perfect. She was understanding and compassionate. She was also a hopeless romantic, Caitlyn realized, which was great for Mitchie to have in her life. Romantics tended to be the most attentive lovers, which Caitlyn knew Mitchie could use. Romantics put their lovers before themselves, and after the Shane fiasco, it would be nice for Mitchie to be with someone who wasn't a selfish pig. She never would have expected that of Alex after hearing about her almost burning down the school. And yet, there they were.

Yes, Caitlyn mused as she walked to her dance practice, Mitchie had gotten extremely lucky with Alex. Whether it was coincidence or fate that the two had found each other, Caitlyn wasn't really sure. All she knew was she was thanking the universe for the current circumstances, Mitchie being brought to Alex and vice versa. Those two seemed to need each other in order to get over the hurtles with which life was presenting them and so far, they were doing a fantastic job jumping them together. Caitlyn only prayed for Mitchie's sake, as well as for Alex's, that they continued on this path of happiness and growing instead of crashing and burning.

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Alex stepped out of the freezer, slipping a piece of paper into her pocket and trying to hide her sly grin.

Her father had sent her in there to see if they were running low on turkey, and it had been the perfect opportunity to do exactly what she'd been waiting to do since Caitlyn left and Mitchie had arrived that afternoon.

"We're almost out," Alex said to her dad, referring to the turkey. "You better order some first thing in the morning or we won't make it through the week."

"Thanks, Alex," Jerry said. "What took you so long?" he asked curiously.

Alex racked her brain quickly, trying to come up with an excuse. "I was checking all the other stuff too," she said hastily. "We need more…cheese."

Jerry nodded, somewhat impressed. That was rather responsible of her. "What kind of cheese?"

Alex froze, eyes wide. "The…cheesy…kind?"

Jerry nodded again, turning to get back to work. However, when Alex's words registered in his head, he stopped, a confused look on his face. He turned to confront Alex again, but she was nowhere in sight. He checked over the window that looked out across the restaurant and saw Alex heading to a table, nearly running to get there. He sighed and shook his head. She was obviously up to something. Some things never changed.

Alex smirked to herself, pleased that she seemed to have gotten away with that for the time being. As she took the order of the person at table five, the slip of paper in her pocket seemed to be getting heavier and heavier. All she wanted to do was run upstairs with it and start working.

Hell, she wanted to take it out right there and start looking at it. But she couldn't. Not with Mitchie sitting right there.

Mitchie could not know that while in the freezer, away from the wandering eye, Alex transported herself to Mitchie apartment. She could not know that while there, Alex took Mitchie's song notebook from her desk and opened it to "Don't Forget." She also could not know that Alex used the printer/scanner on Mitchie's desk to make a copy of the song and _that_ was what was on the paper in her pocket.

She couldn't know any of that because it would ruin the surprise. And the surprise couldn't be ruined. It just couldn't be.

Alex looked up from her notepad with orders scribbled across it, eyes making their way over to the counter. Mitchie sat behind the register, putting a few bills from a customer in the drawer. She counted out the change carefully and handed it back, giving the customer a friendly smile.

Feeling a pair of familiar eyes on her, Mitchie looked across the restaurant to catch Alex watching her. When their gazes met, Alex let a soft smile touch her lips. Mitchie returned it, eyes twinkling happily at the way Alex was looking at her. It made her feel warm inside.

Alex's heart melted just looking at Mitchie. No, the surprise could not be ruined. It was too good, too special. It needed to happen, and it needed to be perfect.

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"You really don't have to walk me home _every _day, Alex," Mitchie said as she pulled on her coat, getting ready to be walked home by Alex after their shift.

"I like to," Alex said, keeping her voice low so it wouldn't carry across the empty sub shop and into the kitchen where Justin could hear. He was busy washing dishes, but Alex was sure he could hear them. "It lets me know you get home safely and allows me to spend time with you."

"Well, aren't you the sweetest thing," Mitchie said, smiling.

Alex winked, sliding her arms into her coat. "Yes, I am." She smirked and pushed the sub shop door open, holding it for Mitchie to walk through.

Mitchie rolled her eyes in a playful manner and walked through the open door, Alex following behind her.

"You are so egotistical sometimes," Mitchie teased, standing on the sidewalk in front of the sub shop.

"But that's why you love me, right?" Alex asked slyly, taking a step up to Mitchie. She grinned ear to ear as Mitchie tried to stop the smile making its way to her face, but she couldn't fight it. Mitchie smiled widely, mirroring Alex.

"Yes, I love you, Alex Russo," she said, draping her arms over Alex's shoulders when her girlfriend had come close enough.

Alex grinned more as she placed her hands on Mitchie's hips, head leaning forward slowly. She watched as Mitchie's eyelids fluttered closed, anticipating the kiss they both knew was coming. Alex closed her eyes as well just moments before her lips met with Mitchie's in a sweet kiss.

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Justin was busy in the kitchen, washing the dishes from that evening's dinner rush. He'd much rather be chasing after monsters instead, but with the cold recently, the monsters that usually invaded New York City were sort of dormant.

He smiled, though, looking away from the sudsy water and down at his muscles, which were getting bigger every day. He'd started working out at the exclusive monster hunter's gym on the weekends, and it was paying off. Next time he encountered a big foot, he wouldn't have as hard of a time as his last meeting with one.

Justin took his hands from the soapy water and flexed a few times, but stopped immediately when he heard voices. He slapped his hands to his sides, trying to look normal. He cautiously crossed over to the door leading to the restaurant and pushed it open slightly, peeking out.

Alex was holding the door open for Mitchie, who walked out and was soon followed by Alex. He'd forgotten they were still there. But it seemed as though they were leaving. Alex would be walking Mitchie home again, which he thought was rather nice of her. Alex had really grown and become a good friend to Mitchie over the past few months. Mitchie was certainly making Alex a better person, which Justin didn't mind _at all._

Jerry had asked Justin to lock up and he wanted to do it right then and there before he forgot, but should he do it now? What if Alex wanted to come in through the sub shop?

_Nah, she'd either zap herself back into her room or go the regular way_, he reasoned with himself.

Grabbing a towel off the counter to dry his hands with on the way to the front of the sub shop, Justin began to whistle. It was the tune to his favorite Tears of Blood song, a band he'd started listening to just to make himself look cool but eventually started to actually like. He slung the towel over his shoulder when he got to the door, continuing with his whistling.

As Justin was about to turn the lock, he glanced through the glass of the door. The street seemed quiet, nothing really going on, nothing unusual. The other shops were dark, the streetlights were turning on, Alex was kissing Mitchie.

Justin's whistling immediately stopped as his body went rigid with shock.

_Alex was kissing Mitchie._

He was frozen on the spot. It was like a car accident, he couldn't look away. Jaw hanging open slightly, he watched as Alex and Mitchie slowly pulled apart, each smiling goofily at each other.

Alex glanced at the sub shop quickly, that smile still on her face. However, when her brain registered what she saw, the smile instantly vanished and her face fell, soon becoming white with fear. Dark eyes flicked back to the window.

Justin caught the glance but assumed Alex had not seen him when suddenly, brown eyes bore into his green ones.

Mitchie followed Alex's gaze, her heart beginning to pound madly with fright when she discovered they had an audience of one−Justin.

The eighteen-year-old boy, not knowing what else to do, made a dash for it, towards the back of the sub shop.

Alex was at a loss for what to do. Should she go after her brother or stay with her girlfriend? She needed to be walked home, after all. Mitchie could practically see the war waging in Alex's head. As much as she loved being walked home by the Latino girl, she knew what was more important at that moment.

"Go," Mitchie said, placing a hand on Alex's shoulder.

Alex looked at Mitchie, unsure. "But…What about you?"

"I'm a big girl," Mitchie said. "I can survive walking home alone one night. I have my pepper spray just in case. Besides, you need to talk to Justin. Now go." She gave Alex a small push towards the doorway.

Alex glanced at it before looking at Mitchie once more. "Just text me when you get home."

"I will." Mitchie nodded, shooing Alex with her hand. "GO!"

Without another word or another look back, Alex threw the doors to the sub shop open and ran inside. As she tore off her coat and threw it to the side, she looked around the empty restaurant quickly, pausing at the kitchen door when she heard a noise from within. It was the sound of an entire tray of utensils falling to the floor.

Alex stormed straight to the door, slamming it open. Justin was standing near the table where their father prepared sandwiches, holding an apron in front of him. He stared at his sister, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. His mess of silverware was scattered around his feet.

"Justin…" Alex said, advancing a step towards him.

Justin shot forward, dancing around the utensils. He threw the apron over Alex's head to obscure her vision as he raced past her, running for his life. Alex growled and ripped the garment from her head. Hair wild, she followed her brother out into the restaurant. He was trying to make a break for the door, but Alex caught up quickly. She jumped onto his back, tackling him to the ground.

"Alex, get off me!" Justin exclaimed, wiggling to get out from under his sister, who had him pinned, an arm twisted around his back.

"No!" Alex yelled back at him.

Justin, being much bigger than his sister and recently a lot stronger, flipped Alex off his back and hopped up, dusting himself off and breathing in and out quickly. Alex jumped up a second later, just as disheveled as her brother.

The pair stared at each other for a few moments, each trying to catch their breaths. Alex was sending Justin a death glare, and he gulped, genuinely frightened. He may have been a lot bigger and known way more spells, but Alex was sneaky and underhanded.

"You lied to me," he accused, pointing a finger. "You told me you'd never go after Mitchie!"

"No," Alex said, shaking her head. "I said I wouldn't use her. I said I was looking for a relationship, but I wasn't looking for that with her."

"Well you've obviously formed one with her," Justin said, putting his hands on his hips and shaking his head disapprovingly. "How long?"

"Since Thanksgiving," Alex said. "We weren't looking for it. It just happened."

Justin shook his head again. "She's having a baby, Alex! What are you thinking?"

"That I love her!" Alex yelled, hands balling into fists. "I _love_ her, Justin! I didn't want to have feelings for her, they just developed. I never dreamed they'd be returned. But they are! I didn't influence her in any way! She and I both know how crazy it is to be together, but we're giving it a try. We're taking it one day at a time. And each day, she and I get stronger. As a couple and as individuals."

Justin said nothing, just continued to look at his younger sister, who now had tears forming in her eyes. He'd seen Alex cry only a few times before, but this time seemed different.

"She makes me happy, Justin," Alex said, voice cracking when she said his name. "I've never felt like this before. Like, when she smiles, I have to smile too. And I know I'd do anything just to get her to smile. And that baby… I love that baby, because it's part of her. Every time I feel it move, every time she allows me to share that moment with her, I can't imagine a life without either of them." Alex sniffled and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. Maybe it was the tears blurring her vision, but she thought she saw Justin's face softening. "She makes me better," she continued. "She makes me want to be good. I don't feel like doing all that stupid shit I used to because what if it went too far like the smoking thing? Then I'd be taken away from her and I couldn't take care of her anymore. I just want to be there for her and that baby. I need to be…Mitchie and me being together, it feels right in here." She placed her hand on her chest, over her heart. "But that doesn't matter to you, does it?"

Justin took too large steps forward and grabbed his sister around her shoulders. "Of course it matters to me," he said softly yet forcefully. "You don't think I want you to be happy?"

"You don't want me with Mitchie," Alex said, looking up at him. "You made that much clear that day in the car."

"That's when you were still the old Alex," he said and gave a small smile. "But you're not her anymore, are you? You're different than what you were a few months ago. You're not that same dumbass that almost burned her school down to the ground." He smiled cheekily. "You've matured and grown so much over the past few months, and I think Mitchie has a lot to do with that. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see it. And if everything you said about what you feel for her is true, then I take back everything I said about not wanting you together."

"Are you serious?" she asked doubtfully. Was she actually getting support?

"I'm dead serious." He held her gaze, trying to show how much he actually meant it. "Honestly. If you fully intend to stand by Mitchie and support her and be everything she and that baby need, then you have my blessing. And anything you need, please be mature enough to ask for help."

Alex narrowed her eyes at her brother, cautious. She wasn't sure whether or not he was telling the truth. For all she knew, this could be some trap or that reverse psychology crap. Then again, this was Justin. Justin, who genuinely cared about her _and _Mitchie. Justin, who she just made a truce with and knew he would never do anything to jeopardize that. Justin, who was good and honest.

"Thank you," she said finally. "I really appreciate it. Just…Don't tell Mom and Dad."

"Why not?" Justin asked, taking his hands from his sister's shoulders.

"You know why, Justin!" Alex sighed. "They would flip! They'd think I was trying to ruin Mitchie or something. I'll tell them eventually, just not now. Not until I've done something to really prove myself and show that I'm mature enough to take on this serious relationship. Until then, please don't say anything."

Justin gazed at his sister, knowing she was right. "Okay," he said finally with a sigh. "I won't tell Mom and Dad you're dating Mitchie."

"SHE'S DOING WHAT?" came the booming, angry voice of Jerry Russo.

Alex's heart stopped as her and Justin's heads swung around only to see their parents halfway down the spiral staircase, stopped dead in their tracks. They'd been on their way down to finish with inventory, but Alex and Justin hadn't heard or noticed them.

"I'm sure we heard Justin wrong, Jerry," Theresa said, though she didn't look too convinced. She and her husband continued down the stairs, stopping when they got to the bottom. "Alex isn't stupid. She knows better than to get involved with Mitchie. That would be ridiculous." Theresa narrowed her eyes and gave Alex a forced smile, as if daring her to disagree. "Right, Alex?"

Alex said, nothing, just gulped and stared at her parents. If there was one thing she'd learned over the past few months, it was that lying was not the smartest thing to do. When she lied, sure, sometimes she got away with stuff, but usually it just made everything worse. And when she lied, it was usually because she didn't want to get in trouble for something she did or to admit to something she was ashamed of. But she wasn't ashamed of her relationship with Mitchie. But, she also knew that admitting to it would cause a great commotion and a fight. So, she just kept her mouth shut. That seemed safe for the time being.

"Alex," Theresa prodded again, her smile dropping.

When Justin saw that sister wasn't going to answer, he assumed she was at a loss for words. She'd been right. They were getting mad. They didn't trust her, just like he hadn't at first. They still saw the old Alex, the one who couldn't handle being in a relationship with the soon-to-be teen mother. If she admitted to the relationship, they'd be against it right away. But maybe if he broke the news to them, they would take it better…

"You heard right, Mom," Justin said quietly. "She's dating Mitchie."

"Justin!" Alex exclaimed angrily, jabbing him in the ribs with her elbow. _He promised._

"How long has this been going on?" Jerry asked, his face stony and unreadable.

Alex glared at her brother one last time before turning to her father. "Thanksgiving."

"Well, it ends _now_," Jerry said, pointing to the floor to emphasize that exact moment.

"What?" Alex said loudly, her heart dropping to her stomach.

"And you have had your last lesson with Justin," Jerry said, crossing his arms over his chest. "First thing in the morning, we're enrolling you in public school. And I'm afraid Mitchie will have to find herself another job."

"What?" Justin and Alex both yelled at the same time. Neither of them expected that.

"Dad, I think you're being unreasonable," Justin said, trying to be mature and calm about this, trying to get it talked out and reasoned.

"You can't do that!" Alex yelled frantically, much unlike her brother. "Be angry with me all you want, but don't take this out on Mitchie! She needs this job to save up money so she can support her baby!"

"It's nothing against Mitchie personally," Jerry said. "We like her, but I don't think you two being around each other is a good idea anymore."

"It's the best idea anyone has ever had!" Alex screamed, hands balling into fists and her face turning red. "This isn't even about me, is it? It's all about Mitchie! You don't want Mitchie near me because you think I'm going to taint her!"

"Alex, that's not it," Theresa said, trying to calm her daughter. "I have the same feelings as your father. You and Mitchie shouldn't be together. And she shouldn't be around you, where she can still be influenced."

Alex's angry face instantly vanished as it turned into one of shock. She simply stared at her parents, dumbstruck. She couldn't believe it. She'd just been talking out of her ass and out of anger, but she'd been right. They cared more about Mitchie than her. They didn't want her with Mitchie because they didn't think she was good enough for her. Perfect little Mitchie could not be with someone as bad as stupid little Alex.

"Influenced?" she asked in a calm tone, though she felt anything but. "You think I'm influencing her? I am _not_. If anything, she's influencing me. She's making me a better person, which you would see if you bothered to pay attention or give a damn for five seconds!" Now she was angry again. "Mitchie knew she was attracted to girls before she even met me! That's how she got pregnant, trying to make herself normal. Lucky for me she realized she couldn't be turned. And we both tried to deny what we were feeling, but in the end, we got tired of it. We've both thought about it and have talked about it. We're preparing for the major life change when the baby comes. We want to work at it, want to take that chance." Alex saw the disapproving looks and sighed deeply. "Why do I have the feeling your minds were made up about this before you even found out about it?"

Theresa and Jerry exchanged a look quickly. It was Theresa who spoke.

"We've had our suspicions recently," she said. "We've been watching you two interact during work."

Alex nodded solemnly. "Great." She put her hands on her hips. "Well have you been watching the way my face lights up whenever she walks in the room? Have you watched how all _I _have to do is look at her and _she _gets this big, goofy smile? Have you noticed how happy we make each other? Because it's a mutual relationship. She _loves_ me, and I _love _her."

Jerry scoffed. "You don't know what love is. You're too busy scheming. You think I don't know you were up to something in the freezer today?" He pointed towards the kitchen.

Alex blinked, taken aback. "I was working on something for Mitchie's birthday!" she exclaimed, getting angry again. "Look, if this is about the magic thing, she knows about that! She knows everything!"

Jerry's face went even redder at this. She told the magic secret? That was _not_ acceptable!

"And she doesn't care!" Alex went on. "I love her, I'm happy! You'd think that would be enough for you guys, but apparently it isn't! And I don't care what you think! You're _not_ taking Mitchie, from me, and that's the end of it!"

"Alex," Theresa started, but Alex wasn't listening.

She pulled her wand from her boot and ran out the doors of the restaurant.

"Alex!" Justin yelled, running after her. He shoved the doors open just in time to see his sister raise her wand and swirl it around her head quickly.

Alex literally disappeared with a blinding flash into the fast-falling night of New York City, ignoring the shouts of protests from her parents and brother. She took her anger and resentment with her, leaving nothing but darkness behind.

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**Told you things were gonna happen. **

**Review it and earn my love forever!**


	30. Something Worth Fighting For

**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place. Nor do I own PlayStation, Rent, or "Take Me or Leave Me."**

**I had writer's block, which is why this chapter took a little longer. Also, school started up again. So updates may not be as often as they were for the month of December. Just a head's up.

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**

"I'm coming, hold on!" Mitchie yelled out of the open bathroom door as she pulled on her robe.

As soon as she'd gotten home and texted Alex to let her know she'd gotten there okay, she decided the best thing to do would be for her to take a hot bath. She was stressed about leaving Alex to deal with Justin after he saw them together, still exhausted even though she'd taken a nap that afternoon, and her feet were swollen. She'd just wanted a nice, hot bath. But as soon as she was about to get into the tub, some lunatic started banging on the door.

She knew right away it wasn't Alex. Alex would have just zapped herself in. And Caitlyn would be yelling at her to get her lazy ass to the door. And both of her parents had keys and even if they lost them, they would not be pounding on the door like that. She had no idea who this could be.

Tying the robe to cover her completely naked body, she took a look through the peep hole. Justin was on the other side running a frantic hand through his hair while nearly busting her door down with the other.

Mitchie did her best to close the robe before opening the door, but it was a little difficult with her protruding stomach. She bunched the top together with one hand while she pulled the door open with the other.

"What is it, Justin?" Mitchie asked nervously, her hand going down to the middle of her robe, closing it down there too. She didn't want him to see anything, after all. But, she was still anxious to see why he was there. After all, he didn't just randomly stop by unannounced. And he most likely had just had a fight with Alex.

"Where is she?" he asked, looking around. He walked in and swiveled his head all around, trying to catch a glimpse of his sister.

"Who?" Mitchie asked, kicking the door closed so she could keep her garment closed with her hands.

"Alex!" Justin exclaimed, running into the hall. "She in here?" he asked, pointing to a door he'd come to figure out was Mitchie's bedroom.

"No…" Mitchie said uncertainly. After all, Alex could very well be in there for all she knew. Her girlfriend had a tendency to just pop in without a word. But she highly doubted it, because Alex would have said hi.

Justin shook his head and opened the door, walking in the room. Mitchie thought this was a little rude since she hadn't invited him inside, he'd just barged in, and now he was just going into her bedroom without permission too? She frowned and crossed slowly to hallway. She could hear Justin open and close her closet door and then he was crossing the room. He was leaving it so fast he nearly bumped into Mitchie. He stopped abruptly as to not knock his sister's girlfriend down and cleared his throat.

"It appears she isn't here," he said in a monotone, showing no emotion.

"Why would she be?" Mitchie asked. "Did you fight with her about us? Did you give her a hard time about it? Because if you did, I'm just as mad at you as she is. And you're not welcome here, so get out." She pointed towards the door. "I love her, Justin. Once you get that through your head, maybe you can come back." She stood up proudly, forgetting about holding her robe closed. She was feeling bold. Finally, she was fighting for herself again. Only this time, it wasn't just for her. It was for Alex too. And it was all because she actually had something worth fighting _for_.

"Mitchie, we did fight a little, but I didn't give her a hard time. Actually, I told her I _support_ you," Justin said.

Mitchie dropped her arm to her side. "You do?"

He nodded. "I didn't want you guys together at first, but after Alex made her case and I really thought about it, I don't want you apart. You, for whatever reason, make Alex be not such a pain in my ass." He smirked. "It's a miracle, really. You just make her better in every aspect."

Mitchie smiled and blushed, pulling her robe tight around her again. "Thank you." Her smile dropped. "So why are you looking for her, then? Did you not tell her that?"

"No, I did. She and I are on great terms." Justin sighed. "It's our parents. They overheard some of it and jumped all over her. They think like I used to, that Alex is bad news and is just trying to mess you up."

"But she's not!" Mitchie protested, frowning deeply.

"I know, but they don't trust her enough to realize that." Justin frowned as well. "They told her she needs to stop seeing you. Oh, and by the way, I think you might be fired."

Mitchie's jaw hung open momentarily before she yelled, "What?"

Justin winced at Mitchie's outburst. "I said I think you might be−"

"No, I heard you," Mitchie interrupted. "I can't believe this! How can they do this to me? To Alex?"

"They don't want you together," Justin said with a shrug. "I guess they figure if you aren't around each other you won't be tempted to date."

"We see each other for school," Mitchie pointed out.

Justin's face twisted unpleasantly. "Yeah…about that…"

Mitchie groaned. "What now?"

"They said they're enrolling Alex in public school," he said.

Mitchie starred at him blankly for a few seconds. "Move," she said, pushing him out of her way to get to her room.

"What are you doing?" Justin asked.

"Getting dressed so I can go talk to your parents, then help you find Alex," Mitchie said, hand on the door, ready to close it. "They can't do this."

"Mitchie, I could help you find another job," Justin said. "It's no big deal."

"This isn't about the job, Justin!" Mitchie yelled angrily. "This is my _life_ your parents are fucking with! They're not taking your sister from me. God knows how much I need her right now. And I'm not letting her go without a fight."

Justin stared wide-eyed at Mitchie. He was shocked for several reasons. One, he'd never heard Mitchie curse before. Two, he'd never seen her that forceful or angry before. And three, she didn't have her hands on her robe anymore, and the top was starting to open.

"Uh, Mitchie…" he choked out, his eyes the size of basketballs.

"Yeah, I know, I'm naked!" Mitchie yelled, slamming the door shut in Justin's ogling face. On a normal day she'd be terribly embarrassed, but today she was too enraged. She'd probably be dying of embarrassment because of it later, but at the moment, Mr. and Mrs. Russo had just pissed off a severely hormonal pregnant teenager.

**

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**

Alex didn't go to Mitchie. She wanted to. God, did she want to. But that would be the first place they looked. She'd go eventually if she could. She knew Justin probably went straight to Mitchie's apartment to look for her while her parents went to Harper's. That was another place she considered going in the entire three seconds she took to consider her destination. But that would have also been stupid. She even mused to idea of going to Caitlyn's, but just popping into the home of someone who didn't know she was a wizard didn't seem like too good of an idea. Plus, she didn't know where Caitlyn lived anyway.

She had no clue what prompted her to choose the place she'd ended up. Maybe old feelings. Old feelings of resentment.

She sat in the center of the empty apartment, the dust settling slowly from her falling to the floor and unsettling it. The landing had been a little rougher than she intended, but she'd been in a hurry. In her last second on Waverly Place, she envisioned this place in her mind. She never thought she'd be back, but here she was.

As she picked herself up off the floor of what she knew as the Malone apartment, she began to dust herself off, keeping her wand in her hand. It had been over a year since Dean and his family had lived there, but it still smelled like the family. There was the scent of Dean's cologne and over-used hair gel hanging in the air as well as his father's aftershave, his mother's perfume, and Nikki's body spray.

The family had moved out and a new one had never taken their place. It was obvious why. The place wasn't exactly a palace. It was falling apart when the Malones had lived in it. The sink dripped, cabinets were hanging off the hinges, and the toilet rarely flushed. Dean was a genius when it came to fixing cars, but a dunce when it came to household chores−and life in general; his father was the same.

She crossed her arms, hugging herself slightly as she saw a cockroach scurry from a shadow and into the moonlight shining in from a window.

Alex lifted her hand that was holding the wand and gave it a flick, making the lights of the apartment come on. She had to close her eyes for a few seconds then blink a few times, but they soon adjusted. The place was a mess. There were cobwebs and more cockroaches running, trying to find shelter. The floor was covered in dust and dirt. Normal apartments wouldn't be this messy after being uninhabited for a year, but this was Dean's apartment.

She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself again. The apartment also had not been heated, which made it just as cold as outside, and Alex had no jacket. But that was fine. She was cold, matching how her heart felt at the moment. A buzzing sound filled the room and Alex knew it was her phone. Not even checking who it was, Alex grabbed it from her pocket and turned it off, slipping it back in soon after.

She was so angry with her parents. How could they do that to her? To Mitchie? Why couldn't they see that Mitchie was the best thing that ever happened to her?

She needed a quiet place to be alone, to think. Which is why she'd chosen to come here, where she knew there was no chance of seeing another person. Her anger also led her there. She was so mad when she was thinking of where to go. She didn't think she'd ever been more angry with anyone in her life or resented them more. But then she remembered Nikki. And that's how she got where she was.

Alex walked through the empty apartment, past the spot where the couch had once been, past the deserted kitchen. She walked through the doorway to the hall where the stupid beaded hanging thing she really didn't understand used to be hanging. She looked in the first door to the left, Dean's room. She could still see his posters of cars and bikini clad girls hanging above his bed and it made her shake her head a little. Dean was such a boy. She missed him sometimes. He'd been a great friend.

Next she walked past the bathroom until she got to the second door on the right. She pushed the door open and a shiver went down her spine. This was Nikki's room.

Frowning, she could still see the queen sized bed that once occupied the center of the room. It was on that bed that she'd had her first kiss with a girl. It was a day she'd never forget.

**

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**

_As fifteen-year-old Alex washed her hands in the sink after having used the bathroom, familiar music started drifting to her ears._

_Curious, she slipped out into the hall quietly and followed the sound of the music to Nikki's room. The door was open and taking a peek inside, Alex saw a beautiful sight._

_Nikki was on her bed, sprawled out and reading a magazine. She had on those short jean shorts, just like the day Alex had met her. Her tank top was riding up a bit, revealing the tan skin of her back as she lay on her stomach, which also gave Alex a perfect view down the other girl's shirt. Her hair was down and fell in ringlets down her back. Alex couldn't help but stare in awe. She was just so beautiful. When she realized what she was doing, however, she shook her head and came to._

_Nikki still had her eyes glued to the magazine. Alex could make it back to Dean's room without being noticed and she could act like this had never happened. But, as soon as she took a step back to make her retreat, she stepped on what must have been a loose floorboard._

CREAK!

_Alex froze instantly as dark eyes flickered to her own. She was too scared to move. She thought for sure Nikki was going to start yelling about her being a little creep and spying on her. But, they yelling never came. Instead, Nikki smiled._

"_Russo, right?" she asked, not taking her eyes from Alex._

"_Yeah. Alex," the younger girl said, standing in the doorway awkwardly._

"_What brings you to my dwelling?" Nikki asked, glancing down at her magazine again. "My twerp of a brother boring you in there?"_

"_I heard your music," Alex said, avoiding the question and gesturing to iPod set up with some speakers, playing "Take Me or Leave Me"_

"_You like _Rent_?"Nikki asked and raised an eyebrow at her._

"_Of course." Alex nodded. "I love it."_

_Nikki gazed at her with those dark brown, almost black eyes. It made Alex a little uncomfortable, like Nikki was sizing her up. She felt like she could see right through Alex and read her every thought. Something flickered in Nikki's eyes, and Alex had a horrible realization._

She knew.

_Nikki really could see right through her and knew Alex's innermost secret just by looking at her. She had no idea how, but somehow she could tell that Nikki knew of Alex's struggle with her sexuality, which had increased a lot since she'd first laid eyes on her boyfriend's sister._

_Nikki grinned at Alex and got up from her bed, extending her hand."Dance with me," she said, still smiling._

_Alex looked down at the hand, which she knew held so much danger. It led to a world of hatred and no acceptance. Simply because it was a girl's hand. Then Alex glanced over her shoulder, to Dean's room, to safety. He offered her such a simpler future, though he had no freaking clue._

"_I should be getting back to Dean," Alex said, looking back at Nikki. "He's probably wondering where I am." Actually, Alex was fairly certain Dean had not even noticed she'd left the room. He was too busy playing some stupid racing game on his PlayStation. _

"_And if he goes looking for you, he'll find you with me." Nikki shrugged, flashing Alex a white grin. "No big deal."_

_Alex felt it was a huge deal, but she couldn't help melting a bit at Nikki's smile. Slowly, one of her own made its way to her face. _

"_Okay, one dance," she caved. "But then I have to get back to Dean."_

"_Great." Nikki grabbed Alex's hand and pulled her into the room and close to her body, closer than Alex thought was appropriate for a girl and her boyfriend's sister._

_Nikki placed her other hand, to Alex's dismay, on her waist. Alex tried to hide her disappointment as she placed her other hand on Nikki's shoulder. Nikki was the boy. Alex wanted to be the boy. She'd always felt awkward dancing with guys, wishing she could put her hands on the waist instead. She was curious to find out if her theory was right and it would actually feel better dancing like a guy, but she didn't get the chance._

_Soon, Nikki began to lead. Alex fumbled a bit, not having much experience with dancing. They twirled around the small space, Alex watching her feet the whole time. When she finally glanced up, Nikki's eyes were on her. The older girl smiled and Alex gave her a nervous one back. _

_Nikki let go of Alex's waist and lifted her hand for Alex to spin under it, which she did. Alex instantly went back into Nikki's arms right after, though. Then, without warning, Nikki dipped her low. Alex let out a surprised yelp but grinned when she felt Nikki's hand supporting her back. When Nikki brought her back up, they took one look at each other and began laughing. They leaned into each other, arms around one another as they giggled like fools, even though it was not that funny. Alex felt Nikki's weight shift and make them fall onto the bed, where they continued to laugh. _

_Soon, though, when Alex realized their position, her laughter slowed, as well as Nikki's. They gazed at each other as Nikki moves strands of Alex's hair from her face. Then, slowly, Nikki leaned forward. Alex felt her heartbeat quicken when she felt Nikki's lips on hers. They were softer, sweeter than Dean's. She liked them better, and that scared her. She kept her eyes open and wide the whole time Nikki was that close, and they remained that way when the other girl pulled away._

_Without a word, Alex got up quickly from the bed. She didn't look at Nikki at all as she turned and left the room, just as the song was ending with the last line of, "I'm gone."_

**

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**

She went back to Nikki's room every single time she visited Dean after that. They never spoke of the kiss. Instead, they talked about clothes and other girly things. Then, one day Nikki closed her door while Alex was in the room. Alex thought it was odd, but said nothing. Instead, she went over to Nikki's closet to see the new clothes Nikki told her she had bought.

Without warning, Nikki's hand was on her shoulder, spinning her around. She grabbed Alex and pinned her against the wall, immediately placing her lips on the younger girl's.

Alex crossed the room and stared at the wall against which she'd had her first make out session. She gave it a good kick, resentment flooding her again.

Did she resent Nikki? Yes. She did. Very much.

Nikki had been the first girl she'd ever cared about, and Nikki had just used Alex for her own personal gain. She just wanted someone to have fun with, someone she could control. She wanted someone who was clean, good, and pure. Maybe not in morals, but as far as sexual experience was concerned. Nikki was no better than a boy. She'd wanted to have a young girl who would do whatever she wanted. She wanted someone who would give themselves willingly. Someone who would do anything to keep Nikki interested because Nikki was so big and important. Someone who would be honored someone of Nikki's age with Nikki's beauty would choose them. But mostly, Nikki wanted a virgin.

Alex prided herself in seeing right through Nikki in the end and not giving her what she'd wanted. As Alex leaned against the wall Nikki had first pushed her into, realization hit her.

Nikki was her Shane.

She and Mitchie had more in common than she thought. The only difference was Alex had been sober and able to make the right decision when the time came. Unluckily for Mitchie, though, she had not been.

As she thought about it, she was certain had she not broken things off with Nikki that next day, Nikki would have done so because she wouldn't have gotten what she wanted. And then, even if she had, she might have still broken it off.

Alex slid down to the floor and gazed around the room where two of her firsts had taken place: her first kiss with a girl and her first make out. She was just thankful she hadn't fallen in love with Nikki because that was a first she _didn't _get to claim. Mitchie did. And, to Alex's pleasure, there was another first Nikki didn't have, nor did anyone else: her first sexual experience.

Being a virgin to some people was a good thing and to others a bad. Alex felt it was good for her case because she didn't want to give her virginity to someone she didn't love. And she was glad she'd stopped herself from allowing Nikki to take it. Now, she could give it to someone deserving: Mitchie. It didn't bother her that she wouldn't be Mitchie's first if they ever did have sex. She'd at least be her first girl. That was something.

Did she want to have sex with Mitchie, though?

_YES. _

The answer came so quickly to her that she had to chuckle at her hormones. Yes, she was a normal teenager, that was for sure. But she didn't want to have sex with her now. She felt like she'd be imposing on the baby. It just didn't seem like it would be right. Not then, at least. Mitchie's body was her baby's at the moment. It was off limits to Alex in certain aspects. That's how Alex felt about it, anyway. Though it seemed like a waste because she'd heard from a movie or something that sex was supposed to be really good for pregnant women. But then again, maybe it was a good thing if they didn't have sex when Mitchie was pregnant because what if it was really good but Alex couldn't repeat that after the baby was born? It was all too frustrating to think about. So she just stuck with no sex until after the baby was no longer attached to Mitchie's body.

But after that kid was born, it was on.

Alex smirked and shook her head. Wow, her hormones really were getting the best of her.

She looked around the room, thinking about how much distaste she held for the girl that once inhabited it and how much love she had for her girlfriend.

"Fuck you, Nikki," Alex said to the empty room, her voice echoing off the walls. She knew she was the only one that would ever hear it, but it still made her feel better, empowered.

Nikki no longer had a hold on her.

**

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**

Mitchie emerged from her room fully dressed, ready to leave. Justin stood from the couch when he saw her.

"Let's go," she said urgently and grabbed Justin by the arm. "I want to get there as quickly as possible, so what way do you suggest?"

Justin placed his hand on the handle of his wand, pondering. "Alex said she told you about our family…And what we are. Is that true?"

"What?" Mitchie asked curiously and releasing the boy's arm. She thought she knew what he was talking about, but if Alex hadn't told them she'd spilled the wizards secret, she didn't want to get her girlfriend into more trouble.

"Starts with a W," Justin prodded.

Mitchie nodded, realizing it was okay. "Wizards. Yeah. What about it?"

Justin nodded as well. "The fastest way to get us there is to zap us. You up for it?" He pulled his wand out and spun it in his fingers. Alex's wand was nicer, Mitchie noticed. But maybe she was just biased.

"Is it safe for the baby?" she asked, placing her hands on her stomach and looking down at it.

"As far as I know," Justin said. "If anything happens, I know a time reversal spell that will fix everything."

"I don't know, Justin…"

"I got here by zapping," Justin said. "That means I have no car. And I have no money for a cab. This is the fastest way. Unless you want to take the subway…"

At the mention of the subway, Mitchie grabbed Justin's arm again tightly. "Just do it…"

She closed her eyes when she saw Justin lift his wand. For a moment, she felt a little dizzy and her ears popped. Once the feeling of spinning stopped, she opened her eyes to see that she was now standing in the Russo apartment.

Jerry, who was sitting on the couch, jumped in surprise. "Theresa!" he yelled upon spotting Mitchie, who did not look pleased.

"Is Alex back yet?" Justin asked his father.

"Not yet. We called Harper's house. She wasn't there. I see she wasn't at Mitchie's," he said, not taking his eyes off the angry pregnant teenager standing in his living room.

Theresa descended the stairs, spotting a girl who wasn't her daughter standing in the living room.

"Why is Mitchie here?" she asked.

"I don't know," Jerry said before turning to Mitchie. "Are you here to get your job, back, Mitchie? Because if you are−"

"I'm here to get my girlfriend back!" she interrupted loudly, making Jerry look at her in surprise.

He and Theresa exchanged a glance before Jerry sighed and turned his attention back to the girl.

"Listen, Mitchie…"

"No, _you_ listen," Mitchie said harshly. Her tone surprised even her. She was never this rude to adults. But she couldn't back down now. This was too important. "I _love_ your daughter. And I know she loves me. She is the _best _thing that's ever happened to me. I need her right now, especially with all I'm going through. You don't think she is mature enough to handle it, but I know that she can. You don't know her like I do. She doesn't talk to you like she talks to me." Mitchie balled her hands into fists, trying to stop herself from crying. The thought of losing Alex was too much. "You don't want her with me because you think she's bad for me. Shouldn't that be my decision? My own parents let me make it. They know about and support my relationship with Alex."

"But then why did she keep it from _us_?" Theresa asked, interrupting.

"Do you honestly not know the answer to that question?" Mitchie shook her head. "She knew you'd do exactly what you've done, which is try to take me away from her. That's how she sees it. She doesn't see it as you trying to be good, responsible parents. She sees it as a personal assault against her, and what's more, against me. You don't think we should be together, but look how good we are for each other! Have Alex's grades ever been better?"

"No," Jerry admitted quietly.

"That's not because of Justin," Mitchie said, pointing at the boy.

"Hey," he protested.

"Okay, it's a little because of him," Mitchie said quickly. "But a lot of it has to do with me. She does her homework because I push her to do it. She listens to me, cares what I think. So she does better."

"It's not just with school work, guys," Justin said, sitting in the arm chair closest to the door. "She's becoming a much better person, which she tried to tell you. But you wouldn't listen." He gave them a hard look. "She hasn't pranked me in I don't know how long. And I haven't had to fix one of her problems she caused by spell mishaps since she got her new wand."

"She has been doing better in wizard lessons, too," Jerry said to Theresa.

"See?" Mitchie asked. "You liked what a positive influence I was on her before you know we were dating. Why should that change now?" She looked at them, pleading with her eyes. "I can't lose her now. She's my rock. She took my broken heart and put it back together, stronger than it was before. I was so broken until I met her. I need her way more than I've ever needed anyone before. She's seventeen. She's not a little girl anymore. She knows what she's doing and she knew what she was getting into when this relationship started. She's more mature than you give her credit for. I didn't ask her to take on this responsibility. She chose it knowingly. And now, I'm counting on her. Please, do not take her from me when I need her most."

Jerry and Theresa exchanged worried glances, communicating silently. Theresa stepped forward.

"Mitchie, what if you're wrong?" she asked. "Alex thinks she knows way more than she actually does. She changes her mind a lot. She's reckless. She ran off tonight, showing how immature she is. We know our daughter. We're afraid something will make her change her mind and she will leave you broken."

"Then let me decide whether or not I want to take that risk," Mitchie said confidently. "Don't make it for either of us. It's not your life. It's mine and it's Alex's. And we need to be in charge of it."

**

* * *

**

After about fifteen more minutes of sitting in Nikki's room and giving herself time to calm down, Alex decided it was time to go home. She stood, her joints popping. She groaned as she flicked her wand, putting the lights out again.

No one saw her disappear from the darkness as she cast the spell that transported herself from the Malone apartment back to her home.

She appeared in the lair, dusty and stiff from sitting so long. She gave her wand another flick and the dirt fell from her clothing, to her satisfaction.

Expecting her entire family to be out looking for her (except maybe Max, who was probably in his room completely oblivious), she walked into the living room. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw four people in the living room. Her mom, dad, and Justin she could understand. It was Mitchie that shocked her the most.

Everyone looked up when she walked in. Mitchie stood from her seat on the couch where she'd been sitting after her little speech. Her jaw was set tight with anger as she crossed the room to Alex.

"Where the hell have you been?" Mitchie exclaimed. "And why haven't you been answering your phone? I've been calling and texting you!"

"It was off…" Alex said quietly, a little frightened of her girlfriend at the moment.

"But where _were _you?"

"I was…I…"

"Oh just shut up and hug me!" Mitchie exclaimed, cutting Alex off and stepping closer to the other girl.

She wrapped her arms around Alex's neck and pulled her close. Alex's hands instantly went to Mitchie's waist. As she rested her chin on Mitchie's shoulder, she thought about how much of a mood swing that was, but let it go. She focused on nothing but Mitchie and how happy she was to be with her, how much she'd been wanting to hold her for the twenty minutes she'd been gone. She closed her eyes and held Mitchie tighter, though not too tight as to harm the baby. By now she knew just how tight to hold her girlfriend.

When she opened her eyes, she saw her parents looking at her. She cleared her throat and pulled away. Mitchie gave her a disappointed look, but Alex just shook her head, stepping in front of Mitchie as if to protect her.

"Look," she said to her parents. "I love her, okay? And I'm going to keep dating her. And if you can't deal with that, well then…Well you're gonna have to learn to." She knew the last line was lame, but she really didn't have a threat. "And I'm not going to public school. I'm staying in lessons with Justin and Mitchie. And you're gonna give Mitchie her job back."

Jerry and Theresa stared at their daughter for a few moments, not saying anything.

"Okay, Alex," Jerry said, crossing his arms.

"And another thing−" Alex stopped. "Wait, did you just agree?"

"He did." Theresa nodded.

"But…Wha−" Alex stopped when she felt a soft hand grab her own, interlocking their fingers.

"I talked to them already," Mitchie said with a small smile.

"But…But I was all ready for a big fight," Alex said with a slight pout.

"Just be happy, Alex." Mitchie squeezed her hand. "They're letting us stay together, letting us stay in school together, and we both get to keep our jobs. I'd say that's a victory."

"I guess so," Alex said quietly. She had no idea what Mitchie had said to them, but it seemed to have worked.

"Alex, it's getting late," Theresa said. "Why don't you take Mitchie home?"

"Okay," Alex said, nodding. "Where's your coat?" she asked her girlfriend.

"I don't have one," she said. "Justin zapped us here."

Alex's eyes went wide. "Justin, what if it did something to the baby?" she yelled, glaring at her brother.

"She wanted to!" he said defensively, holding his hands up.

Theresa was a bit shocked to see that the first thing on Alex's mind was the health of the baby. It was such an un-Alex-like thought for her daughter to have. It didn't revolve only around her or her well-being.

"Alex, it's completely safe for the baby," Jerry said. "Now, get Mitchie home, please?"

Alex continued to frown, but lifted her wand. Right before she twirled it around and transported them out of there, Mitchie gave appreciative smiles to both of Alex's parents.

Mrs. Russo gave her a small smile back, but Jerry did not. Instead, he gave her a sad look. It seemed to say "we tried to warn you."

Before Mitchie could make much sense of it, though, the world around her faded away and she closed her eyes because of the dizziness. When she opened them again, they were back in her room.

"I think I should stay home tonight," Alex said quietly after a few moments of quietness. "And maybe for the rest of the week. Just to lay low."

Mitchie's mood instantly dropped. "Okay. That sounds like a good idea."

"It's not that I want to," Alex said when she saw the look on Mitchie's face. "I just think it would be safe. As soon as I'm sure they won't check on me, I'll start coming back."

"Okay," Mitchie said quietly. She smiled a little at the promise Alex would return eventually. "Just turn your phone on so I can text you."

"I'll do that as soon as I get home," Alex said with a smile of her own.

Mitchie looked at her carefully. "Where did you go, Alex?"

"My former boyfriend's old apartment," Alex said after some hesitation. "Dean. He moved, so he doesn't live there anymore. No one does."

"Why did you go there?" Mitchie asked, her heart panging with jealously. This didn't make much sense to her. Why would Alex have chosen there, of all places?

Alex rubbed the back of her neck. "I kind of had this thing going on with his sister," she admitted. "Then I realized she just wanted me for sex. I broke it off, and she didn't even care. The next time I went over she had some other girl with her. Dean and I would be in the living room and she'd bring this girl in and grab her and kiss her right in front of us. I kind of hate her. Just thinking about her pisses me off." Alex shrugged. "When you cast the spell to send you places, you have to envision where you want to go. I was so angry at my parents that I could only think about Nikki, the only other person to ever make me that angry in my entire life. I could only see that apartment. And that's where I went."

Mitchie's face softened as she started to feel guilty for being jealous. That really was a sad story and she could relate in some ways.

"Oh, Alex, I'm sorry she did that to you," Mitchie said, reaching out and cupping Alex's cheek.

"It's okay," Alex said, leaning into the comforting touch. "That which does not kill me makes me stronger, huh?" She grinned a little.

Mitchie had to give her a weak smile back. "I guess so."

They stared at each other for a few moments before Alex spoke up. "I have to go before they send Justin after me."

Mitchie nodded, removing her hand from Alex's face. "Don't forget to text me."

"I won't," Alex said before leaning forward and giving Mitchie a gentle kiss on the cheek.

As Mitchie watched her girlfriend disappear, an unsettling thought hit her. She didn't know any of that stuff about Alex until then. And this was a huge thing to know about someone. How much did she still not know? How many important things was Alex leaving unsaid? And was any of it as big as what Mitchie was leaving unspoken?

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**So at first the Rent song was "Tango: Maureen" but then the one in this chapter randomly came on my shuffle while writing this and I had to change it. It was too perfect!**

**REVIEW, EH?**


	31. Rock On, Birthday Girl

**Disclaimer: Do not own Wizards of Waverly Place or Camp Rock. If Hot Tunes Records exists, I do not own that either.**

**I wish I could have gotten this out on the day I marked as Mitchie's birthday (January 26), but it just wasn't in the cards. I tried, though.

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**

Alex rushed around the sub shop, clipboard in hand. Mitchie's birthday party was only two hours away, and there was still so much to do! She'd gotten her parents to agree to let her have the party in the sub shop (with Justin's help, of course), but they'd refused to close down the entire restaurant for only a few people.

Alex never really had friends in school, and Mitchie didn't have any that lived in the city. So when it came to inviting people over for the party, there was a very short guest list. She'd invited Gabe that one day in the shop and Harper soon after plans started forming. Caitlyn had helped a little with the planning, so of course she knew to come. Alex even gave Justin an official invitation, which he very much appreciated since he helped her to get it okayed with their parents. And, in a last desperate attempt to have at least one more person, Alex had asked Max if he'd like to attend. She'd invited Mitchie's parents via email (which she'd acquired from Justin) but they both said they had to work, but they were having a special birthday celebration that night after they got home and invited Alex to join them, which she thought was very nice of them. Only, they had to suggest that Mitchie ask Alex to come to dinner so she wouldn't suspect anything about the party.

So, counting herself and Mitchie, there would be a total of seven guests at the party. Her parents were going to be working and supervising so they didn't count as guests and she didn't really want them to. She was still mad at them. It had been Hell getting them to agree because they didn't want the party to interfere with business. They didn't see why Alex couldn't bring Mitchie out somewhere.

But she really couldn't. It wasn't part of the plan.

"Is there an Alex Russo in here?" a burly man with a thick mustache asked. He was holding a white box in his hands, scanning the restaurant.

Alex walked up to him briskly, placing her clipboard on a table as she went. "That's me. Is this the cake?" She pointed to the box in his hands.

"Does it say _Bob's Cakes_ on the box?" the man asked sarcastically in his deep voice and looked down at Alex due to his towering height.

"Yes, yes it does," she muttered and took it from him with one hand, slipping the other into her pocket to pull out her money. "Keep the change, Bob."

"Bob's my mom," he said, frowning at her deeply while crumpling the bills in his giant hands.

Alex stared at him for a few moments before putting on a fake smile. "Well bye," she said quickly, walking as fast to the back of the restaurant as she could.

When she got behind the counter, she placed the cake under it right next to the candles for later. She stood and surveyed her surroundings. Things were coming together nicely. And she was so glad she'd convinced her dad to give Mitchie the day off for her birthday or she wouldn't have been able to do any of this. She was also glad she got Justin to agree to not make them have school. A little mind control charm she found was to thank for that…

She smiled to herself as she watched her brother hang up the "Happy Birthday" banner above the small stage she'd set up in front of the eating area made to look like a sub car. It had been the one she and Justin used when they started a band that time they had to come up with a backup career just in case they didn't become the family wizard.

Their dad had protested when she zapped it in, but she simply told him that if he didn't want it in there, he could get rid of it himself. So of course without magic Jerry couldn't move the stage. And there it sat, ready to go. She was glad her dad couldn't get rid of it. She needed it. It was part of the plan.

"How's this look, Alex?" Justin called from the ladder, gesturing to the banner.

"Great, Justin!" She gave him thumbs up. "Now can you help me hook up the amps?"

"Sure thing," he said and started descending.

Alex looked at the stage, her drum set in the very back, her black sticks from Mitchie lying on top. A keyboard was to its left, Justin's guitar on a stand to the right. Front and center was a microphone. Alex smiled to herself at the wonderful set up. Mitchie was going to be so surprised when she saw this.

**

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Mitchie hugged her coat tighter around herself as she and Alex walked through the chilly New York City evening. Alex had asked her to come to the sub shop that night to get her birthday present but she assumed they would just be zapping there since they now knew it was safe. She hadn't expected they'd walk to the sub shop. But that's what they were doing.

"I still don't see why we couldn't zap there," Mitchie grumbled, her teeth chattering slightly from the cold.

Alex felt guilty for Mitchie's discomfort, but put on a smile to hide it. "Because I wanted to walk with you. It's such a nice night."

"It's freezing, Alex," Mitchie muttered, darting a somewhat angry glance at her girlfriend.

She really was a little mad at her. First, she'd gotten them out of school, which would have been great if they'd gotten to spend the day together. But then Alex had to work so they couldn't. And Mr. Russo had given her the day off so that was another reason they hadn't seen each other all day. And now, when they finally got to be together, Alex was making her walk in the freezing cold. Mitchie had made an awesome day for Alex, but she was getting this? To her, that didn't seem to match up at all.

Alex glanced at Mitchie and noticed the anger on her face. She knew Mitchie was probably pissed about this, but she couldn't just zap them there without people noticing how short of a time she'd been gone. It had to be done this way, even if it made Mitchie mad at her. She did feel bad, however, that she was making her girlfriend walk in the cold. But Mitchie had a hatred for the subway system, so there was no other way. Taking a cab or car would take double the time because of traffic, especially with the roads being a mess from the snow.

They walked in silence, the only sounds from the snow crunching underneath their feet. Alex wanted to hold Mitchie's hand, but her girlfriend had her arms wrapped around herself, making it impossible for hand holding.

She felt terrible, getting the cold shoulder. But it was necessary. Mitchie would appreciate it when she got her surprise. But in the mean time, she was successfully making Alex feel like shit, even though Alex knew she'd done nothing wrong. Alex just felt bad for making her walk in the cold, especially since it could possibly get her sick and that could be dangerous for the baby.

When the lights of the sub shop came into view, Alex let out a breath, relieved. Soon, Mitchie would no longer be mad at her. Soon, Mitchie would be inside and away from the harsh cold. Soon, the butterflies in Alex's stomach would stop flying around nervously.

Alex gave Mitchie a quick smile before opening the sub shop door, which Mitchie only pouted at as she walked inside. At first, everything looked normal to her. Customers were eating, Mrs. Russo was behind the register, Mr. Russo was in the kitchen. But then she looked to behind the counter, where Harper, Caitlyn, Justin, Max, and some guy with black hair Mitchie didn't know stood. They were all smiling widely and looking at her expectantly, a chocolate cake on the counter in front of them.

"Happy birthday, Mitchie!" they said in unison when she just stared at them stunned.

Mitchie's jaw hung open slightly, completely shocked. She turned when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Alex was smiling at her, an adorable, smug, little smile.

"Got ya," she said, giving Mitchie's shoulder a squeeze.

"_That's_ why we walked?" Mitchie said, a smile of her own making its way to her face.

Alex nodded slowly. "Does that make up for it?"

Mitchie looked at Alex for a few moments before smirking. "It depends on how much fun I have tonight."

And without another word, she left Alex standing there, amused and shaking her head. After a few moments, Alex followed Mitchie behind the counter, where everyone was greeting her.

Theresa, feeling crowded by all of the teenagers behind the counter, walked off to take care of the customers, planning not to return until they got out of her personal area.

Mitchie got hugs and smiles from Caitlyn and Harper, even a small ones from Justin and Max. When she got to Gabe, she smiled uncertainly.

"Uh…I'm Alex's friend, Gabe," he said, sensing her discomfort.

Mitchie raised her eyebrows and turned to Alex, who was standing behind her girlfriend.

"_Not_ an ex boyfriend," Alex clarified. "Just a new friend. I met him the day I told you about…" she cleared her throat, "ya know… The M word."

Mitchie nodded, showing she understood that Alex meant magic, though Gabe was clearly confused. Many things started with M. Monkeys, mangos, money, masks…

"And then we talked again the day Caitlyn came back," Alex continued.

Mitchie looked back at Gabe, who gave her a nervous smile. He knew somewhere in the back of his mind that if Mitchie didn't like him, it would cause problems for him and Alex being friends, and then he'd be back where he started: sitting alone in his room all night long, listening to music.

But to his relief, Mitchie smiled.

"Well it's nice to meet you, Gabe," she said, sticking out her hand.

He let the breath he'd been holding out through his nose and took her incredibly soft hand, giving it a shake. "Nice to meet you too, Mitchie."

Mitchie gave him one last smile and a nod before going over to join the rest of the party, which had migrated to in front of the counter. She went directly to Caitlyn, who was staring blankly as Harper explained her outfit which was designed to look like a birthday cake, and slung her arm over her best friend's shoulder.

"You had something to do with this, didn't you?" Mitchie asked with a smirk.

"Of course I did," Caitlyn laughed. "You don't think I'd let Alex take all the credit, do you?"

Alex watched the exchange and chuckled, turning back to Gabe.

"Thanks for coming," she said.

He shrugged. "What else did I have to do?"

"Oh, so now I'm a last resort?" she joked and crossed her arms over her chest.

Gabe blinked rapidly. "That's not what I meant."

"I know what you meant." She smirked and slugged the flustered boy lightly in the arm.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he and Alex joined the rest of the party. The customers of the restaurant were watching curiously at first, but soon went back to their meals. After all, what did they care about teenagers socializing?

"Alex?" Mitchie asked, tapping her girlfriend on the shoulder.

Alex stopped watching amusedly as Harper tried to edge herself closer to Justin and turned to look at Mitchie.

"Yeah?" she said with a smile.

"What's that for?" Mitchie asked, pointing towards the stage with all of the instruments set up. "Did you get a band or something?"

Alex avoided her eyes and tried to hide her grin. "Something like that."

Mitchie knew that look. Alex was up to something and she was about to ask what it was, but Alex's mischievous look turned into one of anger as her eyes focused over Mitchie's shoulder.

"MAX!" Alex exclaimed, causing everyone to turn and look where Alex was looking.

Max was leaning on the counter, hovering over Mitchie's birthday cake. His eyes were wide and his finger was in his mouth. There was a line across the frosting, like someone had just swiped their finger over the top.

"What?" Max asked with his finger in his mouth.

"What are you doing?" Alex yelled. "That's Mitchie's cake!"

He removed his finger from his mouth and smiled. "Yeah, and it's good!"

Alex scowled. "Get away from there!"

"I'm hungry!" he protested.

"We're not having cake until after Mitchie opens her presents, now get away from there!" Alex went behind the counter and grabbed her younger brother by the back collar of his shirt, pulling him away from the small cake she'd purchased for the occasion.

"Well why don't we open presents now so we can all get to the cake?" Mitchie asked on Max's behalf, trying to keep the peace.

Alex stopped and looked at Mitchie, who only nodded, as if to say _Calm down_. Alex sighed and rolled her eyes but nodded as well.

"Fine, we can do presents now," she said through clenched teeth.

"Thank you," Mitchie said with a slight smile.

Max, who was still in Alex's clutches, smiled as well. "I like your girlfriend, Alex."

"Like I care about what you think. Shut up," she told him, letting him go with a slight shove.

Mitchie gave her a stern look. "Alex…"

"What?" Alex asked, blushing when she noticed all of her friends were looking at her.

Mitchie took a step closer to her girlfriend and spoke quietly. "You're overreacting."

"He ruined the cake," she pouted.

"It's still edible," Mitchie said, taking Alex's hands in her own. "Seriously, calm down."

Alex looked into those deep brown eyes and had to smile when she realized that Mitchie was right, she was being stupid.

"You're right," she said, taking a breath. "You open your presents and I'll start putting the candles on the cake."

"That's my girl." Mitchie stood on her tip toes and placed a sweet kiss on Alex's forehead before letting go of her girlfriend's hands and went over to her group of friends who were standing in front of the counter. "Okay, who's first?"

Everyone exchanged looks before Max boldly stepped up and took a bag from the small cluster of gifts at the very end of the counter. He then stepped up and handed it to Mitchie.

Mitchie took it cautiously, having heard stories about Max. She was genuinely frightened. She looked at Justin, who looked just as scared as her. Then she looked at Alex, who was watching. Alex shook her head, as if giving her a warning.

Mitchie slowly reached her hand inside the bag and curled her fingers around something soft. She pulled the item from the bag. Breathing a sigh of relief, she saw that they were a pair of brown socks.

Justin took a step closer and leaned in to say something in Mitchie's ear. "I'd burn those if I were you. He probably found them under his bed and they were most likely white when he got them."

Mitchie wrinkled her nose in disgust and dropped the socks back in the bag. "Thanks, Max," she said anyway.

The young boy gave a happy smile. "You're welcome."

Alex went behind the counter and took out the candles, taking them from their box. She placed the candles in one by one, then realized her dilemma. She had nothing to light the candles with. She stared at the cake, considering her options. She knew her parents hadn't kept matches in the house since Max caught the curtains on fire when he was six, so that was out. She could try to light them with magic, but that could draw attention, and set the entire cake on fire if she wasn't careful.

Theresa, who had been walking around checking on the customers, walked past the group of teenagers as Mitchie unwrapped a "Homework Pass" from Justin. Putting an order where Jerry could see it, she went back to the register, glancing at Alex. Then she gave her a good look. It was clear Alex was trying to figure out how to light the candles with the way she was staring at them intently. Having checked Alex's supplies earlier and seeing that she had no matches and no lighter, Theresa had known this would happen.

She cleared her throat, getting Alex's attention. When Alex looked at her Mother, Theresa reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a lighter, tossing it to Alex.

Alex caught it with one hand, looking at it curiously. Her eyes widened as she recognized it instantly, memories flashing in her head of a trash can engulfed in flames, a bathroom filling with smoke, and a scared, stupid girl running for her life. She looked up at her mother.

"This is mine," she said quietly.

Her mom nodded. "I took it from your purse that day. A lot has changed since then, hasn't it?"

Alex swallowed the lump in her throat, understanding the meaning behind her mother's words. Circumstances had changed, yes. But that wasn't the only thing that had changed. _Alex_ changed as well. And her mother was beginning to understand that now.

"I think you're mature enough to have it back," Theresa said, averting her eyes and going back to the register.

Alex smiled and made a mental note to give her mom a huge hug later as she lit the first candle. She glanced up as Gabe nervously handed Mitchie an iTunes card.

"Alex said you like music…" he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"She does, a little too much sometimes," Caitlyn said, winking at Mitchie.

Mitchie laughed. "There's no such thing as loving music too much, ya fool."

Caitlyn rolled her eyes and leaned closer to Gabe. "She's in denial," she whispered.

Gabe blushed slightly and smiled. "Maybe she needs to go to music rehab."

"Hey, I can hear you!" Mitchie protested. "Thanks for this, Gabe," she said, holding up the card. "I'm definitely going to use it."

After opening the last two gifts (a homemade scarf from Harper and a new capo for her guitar from Caitlyn, which she'd told her she needed) everyone looked at Alex expectantly.

"Cake ready?" Max asked, eyeing it hungrily.

"Are the candles lit, Max?" Alex asked, raising her eyebrow. She shook her head. "Okay, everyone, sing Mitchie Happy Birthday so she can blow out the candles and we can eat this thing."

As everyone began to sing, Alex slid the cake over the counter so it was closer to Mitchie, who was blushing furiously. A few customers from the restaurant joined in and clapped when the song ended. Mitchie blew out her candles to a round of applause, a huge smile on her face. As the smoke cleared, Alex went into the kitchen to get a knife to cut the cake. Justin joined his sister behind the counter and started putting out the paper plates. When Alex cut a piece and put it on a plate, Justin handed it to a person. Mitchie, of course, got the first piece.

Knowing there wasn't going to be too many people, Alex got a fairly small cake. The slices she cut were a decent size, and there were just enough for everyone. When all of the slices were handed out, the group of teens migrated to two of the empty booths off to the side.

"What did you get Mitchie, Alex?" Max asked, sitting across from his sister.

"I threw her a party, Max!" Alex said in disbelief, but feeling slightly panicky. She'd fought with herself over whether or not to get Mitchie a gift. But in the end, she decided the party was a gift enough in itself. After all, it wasn't about money, it was about the thought, right? And she'd put a lot of thought into this whole event.

"And I love it," Mitchie said, putting her hand on Alex's knee underneath the table.

Alex smiled at Mitchie before sending a glare Max's way. When he saw it, he picked up his cake and moved to the table at which Gabe and Caitlyn were seated, deep in a conversation about how much it sucked to be the new kids at school.

Harper slid into his old spot, right next to Justin, much to his displeasure. Harper smiled happily at him, and he just grimaced in return. Her crush on him still creeped him out.

"So I have two classes with Caitlyn," Harper said, setting her plate on the table. "Totally didn't know that."

"How did you not know?" Alex asked before shoveling a mouthful of cake into her mouth.

"I knew she was new, I just didn't know that she was _the _Caitlyn." Harper shrugged while poking at her cake with a fork. "I didn't put two and two together. But now that we know that our best friends are dating, we're going to start eating lunch together." She smiled just thinking about the badge she would get in Happy Helper's Club for showing the new kid around.

Alex took another mouthful of cake, chewed, and swallowed. "I'm not sure how I feel about that."

"What, the two of them hanging out?" Mitchie asked. Alex nodded. "Why not? It'll be a good thing. We can all hang out together. Plus, it will be good for Caitlyn to have a friend in school."

Caitlyn, who was sitting directly behind Mitchie and heard her name, reached behind her and grabbed Mitchie's hair, tugging it lightly.

"Hey," Mitchie giggled when she felt Caitlyn pull her hair.

Caitlyn swiveled in her seat, kneeling and looking over the seat down at Mitchie. "Are you talking about me, Torres?"

"Why yes, yes I am, Geller." Mitchie smirked up at her friend.

"What are you saying?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Just that I'm glad you and Harper are becoming friends," Mitchie said with a shrug.

"Okay." Caitlyn smirked, patted Mitchie's head, and returned to a normal sitting position.

Meanwhile, Alex was watching the door like a hawk and eating her cake, not even noticing how fast she was eating. It wasn't until she put an empty fork into her mouth that she realized she was finished. She pouted down at the plate with nothing but chocolate crumbs on it, wishing she'd bought a bigger cake just so she could have more. She looked up and saw Harper staring dreamily at Justin, who was eating his own piece and trying his best to not look uncomfortable. Harper still had over half a slice left. Licking her lips and smirking at her friend's oblivious state, Alex reached over with her fork and took a bite of Harper's cake, shoving it into her mouth. However, Harper saw her doing this out of the corner of her eye and was pulled from her trance.

Harper frowned as she watched her best friend chew and swallow. "Alex, that's _my _cake!"

"I know, I was just testing it for poison," Alex said with a shrug. "It's clean."

"No, you're just trying to steal my cake." Harper narrowed her eyes and shook her head at the Latino girl.

"I just saved your life, Harper," Alex said seriously. "And this is the thanks I get?"

"You get no thanks. None." Harper stuck her nose in the air and stood from her seat, walking away, cake in hand.

Alex pouted and looked to her right, where Mitchie was sitting. She still had a decent amount of cake on her plate and she was staring down at it hungrily. As the girl shoveled a huge bite into her mouth, she glanced up and caught Alex watching her. She began to chew, not taking her eyes off her girlfriend.

"If you try to 'test' this cake," she said with her mouth full, air quoting _test_ with her fingers, and pointing to the slice with her other hand, "you're gonna lose a finger." She finished chewing and swallowed. "Just saying."

Alex was about to protest when the bell over the restaurant chimed. She closed her mouth and looked over, seeing a man wearing a business suit with a Bluetooth cell phone headset stuck in his ear. By the way he looked around the establishment with a confused expression, shaking snow out of his neat brown hair, Alex could tell the next part of her plan was about to commence.

"I'll be right back," she said quickly, standing and making her way to the man.

Mitchie looked after her girlfriend, a little confused. But then she just shrugged it off and went back to her cake, which she could now eat in peace.

"Mr. Morrison?" Alex asked the man.

He looked down at her. "That's me, Ray Morrison. I assume you're the Alex Russo I spoke with on the phone?" He stuck out his hand for her to shake, which she did.

"That's me." She smiled at him politely. "May I take your coat?"

"Certainly." He shrugged off his expensive black coat and handed it to the young girl, who put it on the coat rack by the door. "I must admit, Miss Russo, I do not often make business calls like this. But something about the way you were describing this girl's voice made me make an exception. Mindy, you said her name was?"

"Mitchie. Mitchie Torres," Alex said. "And she's incredible. Wait until you hear her. That's her, right over there." She pointed to where Mitchie was sitting, talking with Justin.

Mr. Morrison looked over, narrowing his eyes to see at that distance. "The curly haired girl wearing the black and neon green shirt?" He was clearly describing Caitlyn.

"No, the other one." Alex bit her lip, waiting for his reaction.

His eyes widened and he looked shocked. "That pregnant child? Surely you're joking."

"No." Alex shook her head slowly.

"Why on Earth would Hot Tunes Records want to represent a pregnant teenager? That's bad publicity before she even has a demo!" Mr. Morrison shook his head, baffled. This had to be a joke. There was no way this Alex kid could be serious.

"Mr. Morrison, Mitchie has an amazing voice!" Alex said quickly. "She spent last summer at Camp Rock, so she knows a thing or two. I've heard her sing, and she puts angels to shame. And she writes all of her songs herself! Just listen to her perform. Just one song, that's all I ask. After that, you can leave and forget this ever happened. But just listen. If not, you've completely wasted a trip here in the snow."

Ray Morrison looked out of the window at the cold night, where snow was still falling. He sighed and shook his head, looking back at the teenager before him. "One song, Russo," he said, holding up a finger. "But that's it. After that, I'm gone."

"Thank you!" Alex said, smiling brightly. "You won't regret it. Feel free to sit wherever."

She ran off before he could say anything else or change his mind, right to where Mitchie was seated.

"Come on, Mitchie, you're singing," she said, grabbing the girl's hand and attempting to pull her from the booth.

"What?" Mitchie exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Right now?" Justin asked.

"Right now." Alex nodded.

Justin nodded back, getting up from the booth. "Caitlyn, it's time," he told her before making his way to the stage.

Caitlyn gave Gabe an apologetic smile as she cut their conversation short, standing and going to the stage as well.

"What's going on, Alex?" Mitchie asked as she watched Caitlyn climb onto the stage and station herself behind the keyboard.

"You're the entertainment," Alex said with a sly smile. "Time to shine, Mitch." Alex pulled Mitchie to her feet and started dragging her towards the stage.

"But…I can't, Alex," Mitchie protested.

"Not yet you can't. Hold on." Alex smiled and ran to the back where her dad was making sandwiches. He ignored her as she went into the freezer, immediately pulling her wand from her boot.

She thought for a few moments, coming up with the spell.

"Mitchie needs to be a star, but for that she needs her black guitar." She finished the spell with a twirl of her wand.

The next thing Mitchie knew, Alex was shoving her electric guitar into her hands. It didn't take much to figure out she'd used magic to get it.

"Now you're all set," Alex said. "Just play 'Don't Forget' like you did for me in your room. Justin, Caitlyn, and I have been practicing every day since I got a copy of the song. We'll help you out."

"You stole a copy of my song?" Mitchie exclaimed.

"For a good reason!" Alex said quickly.

"What reason would that be?" Mitchie shook her head.

"For you to be able to play in public with a full band behind you!" Alex said, putting her hands on Mitchie's shoulders. "Except a bass player, because I don't know anyone who plays bass."

"Gabe does," Caitlyn said, coming to the end of the stage and looking down at Mitchie and Alex.

"How do you know?" Alex looked up at her.

"He told me." Caitlyn shrugged.

Alex dropped her hands from Mitchie's shoulders and looked over to where Gabe was sitting. "Gabe, come over here!" she called.

Curious, Gabe stood and walked over. "What's up?"

"Caitlyn said you play bass, is that true?" Alex asked him.

"Alex…" Mitchie tugged at Alex's sleeve, trying to protest, to tell her she didn't want to sing.

"Yes, I've been playing since I was nine," Gabe said, nodding.

"If I get you a bass and we start playing, could you pick it up and play along?"

Gabe nodded again. "I can try."

"Great!" Alex dashed off, running towards the kitchen again.

"Alex!" Mitchie called after her, growing frustrated. But it was no use, Alex wasn't listening.

When the girl returned, she was holding a very nice, shiny black bass in one hand and an amp under her other arm. She handed them both to Gabe. "Start setting up."

As soon as he had the order, Gabe climbed onto the stage, where Justin began to help him plug in the amp. Once it was all set, Gabe started testing the strings and tuning it so it would be ready to play.

"What, do you just keep instruments in your freezer, Russo?" Caitlyn asked in disbelief. "And why do you have a bass if no one you know plays it?"

"It's good for the strings of the guitars to keep them in the freezer," Alex said quickly, though that sounded lame even to her. "And my uncle bought it for me for my birthday last year, but I never bothered to learn it." That was a total lie. Uncle Kelbo hadn't even remembered her birthday. But Caitlyn didn't need to know that.

"Cold is _terrible_ for guitar's strings," Caitlyn said, knowing way more about instruments than Alex.

"These are special strings…?"

Mitchie gripped the neck of her guitar and stepped directly in front of Alex. "I can't do this," she said, her voice shaking slightly from nerves.

"Why not?" Alex blinked quickly.

"I'm too scared." Mitchie shook her head. "I can't sing in front of all these people."

"Mitchie, you seem to be forgetting this summer when you belted out 'This is Me' to an entire barn full of people who thought you were a bitch for lying to them all summer," Caitlyn said, raising her eyebrows. "You ended up changing their opinions of you just by your voice. If you could do that, you can sing to a sandwich shop."

"I don't know, Cay. This seems different." She shook her head again, this time slowly.

"Mitchie, I've heard you sing," Alex said softly, looking into Mitchie's eyes. "Your voice is incredible. And I know you can do this. They're gonna love you. You _can _do this." She had to. Mr. Morrison was watching and with a glance, Alex could see him growing very impatient.

Mitchie took a few deep breaths before nodding. "Okay," she said shakily. "I'll try."

"That's my girl," Alex said, much like Mitchie had said to her earlier. She gave Mitchie a soft kiss on the cheek before climbing onto the stage and holding out a hand to help Mitchie up.

**

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**

Once Mitchie was set up in front of the mike, her guitar over her shoulder and plugged in, the restaurant grew quiet, all eyes on the stage curiously to see what was going to happen.

Alex, seated behind her drum kit, leaned forward to talk into her mike. "Ladies and gentlemen, Mitchie Torres!"

A few people clapped, but after that it was silence. Mitchie stared out into the crowd, eyes wide with fear. The last time she'd sung in public, it had been with Shane. It had been that night, that one night that changed her entire life. That night which was burned into her memory forever, that she would continue to pay for for the rest of her life…

"Did you forget that I was even alive?"

Alex breathed a sigh of relief as Mitchie found her voice, joining in at the appropriate time with the drumming. Justin was doing well with the strumming for the lead guitar. She had been working with him all week, making sure he got it right; she heard the song in her head every time she thought about it, so she helped him, and when he finally got it perfectly, they played it together. This was the first time all five of them were playing together, though. Gabe was proving rather impressive, adding a simple bass line that went with the song decently enough. Caitlyn…Well Alex didn't know what the hell Caitlyn was doing, but she'd emailed her a copy of the song to work with, so Alex knew she knew what she was doing.

She thought they sounded pretty good as far as music went and Mitchie's vocals were spectacular, of course. Looking over, she saw Mr. Morrison staring at Mitchie with a blank expression. Alex's heart thudded against her rib cage. What could that look mean? Why wasn't he smiling?

When Mitchie go to the part right before she started belting out the lyrics, though her back was to her, Alex could tell she had tears forming in her eyes. Alex prayed for Mitchie to keep it together and not stop. If she stopped, they'd all have to stop, and they were doing so well. She didn't know if they would be able to get it back. But Mitchie stayed strong and went right into the intense part of the song, not once going off-key. It was even more beautiful than Alex remembered.

When she looked over at Mr. Morrison again, his mouth was open slightly, clearly stunned. Alex smiled to herself and felt happiness surge through every muscle in her body. This was a good sign.

The song ended and the five musicians on stage were met with silence for all of three seconds as the shock wore off from the audience and they erupted into a huge round of applause.

Mitchie covered her face with her hands as the tears came once again. This time, from happiness. She hadn't expected that reaction at all. It not only surprised her, but overwhelmed her. She'd never felt this feeling before in her entire life. Not when she got applause at Camp Rock, not when Shane joined her for her song, never.

She turned when she felt a hand on her shoulder and leaned into Alex, burying her face in her girlfriend's shoulder as she felt her guitar being moved out of the way as Alex hugged her.

"You did it," Alex said in her ear.

Mitchie smiled and lifted her head, trying to wipe her eyes. "Thank you for making me."

Alex simply smiled and helped her wipe away the moisture, careful not to smudge Mitchie's makeup. She unstuck a few strands of Mitchie's curly brown hair from her cheeks, wiping those too.

"Mitchie Torres?" a deep voice asked.

Mitchie turned away from Alex and looked down at the man in a very expensive suit standing in front of the stage.

"Yes?" she asked uncertainly.

"My name is Ray Morrison. I represent Hot Tunes Records. I have to say, I was skeptical when your friend here asked me to come over and listen to you sing."

Mitchie glanced at Alex, who smiled sheepishly, before turning her attention back to the man.

"I have to say, you have one of the best voices I've ever heard, and I've been in this business for twenty years. The band behind you seemed a bit unrehearsed, but that voice of yours is amazing." He reached into his jacket pocket and removed a business card, handing it to Mitchie. "Once you get…this…settled…" he glanced at Mitchie's stomach and cleared his throat. "Your baby, I mean… Once you have it and get a bit situated… Give me a call. We'll see about getting you in the studio for a demo. In the meantime, keep writing. You're really talented. I expect we'll see big things from you."

Mitchie blinked slowly, at a loss for words. "Thank you," was all she managed.

He smiled at her before turning to Alex. "Thanks for making me stay."

She nodded at him and with a final wave, Ray Morrison walked to the door, removed his coat from the rack, and walked out.

"You're unbelievable," Mitchie said to Alex.

"Is that a good thing?" she asked, turning so they were completely facing each other.

"It's an amazing thing," Mitchie said, gazing into Alex's eyes for a moment before leaning forward and capturing the other girl's lips.

Alex smiled into the kiss and reached up, cupping Mitchie's cheek.

"Oh come on, guys, people are watching," Caitlyn teased.

Mitchie pulled away, blushing. Alex only grinned.

"Let them watch."

"We have to get our kissing in now, Cay. My dad has a no PDA rule," Mitchie said, though her cheeks were still red.

Alex looked at Mitchie, frowning. "Your dad?"

Mitchie furrowed her brow. "Yeah, don't you remember? We're having dinner with them later tonight." Dinner wasn't exactly the word since it would be nearly ten at night when they ate because of how late her mother had to work, but that's what they were calling it.

"Oh. Right. Yeah." Alex gave a quick, fake smile. "How could I forget?"

Mitchie smiled and gave her girlfriend a quick peck on the lips before pulling away again. "I can't wait to tell them about this. Alex, honestly, this is the best birthday present _ever_!"

Alex just continued with that fake smile, panicking on the inside. She hadn't seen Mitchie's parents since they'd found out she and Mitchie were a couple, let alone spent time with them. Now she was having dinner with them. What if they decided they hated her again?

Mitchie, however, was oblivious to how Alex was acting. She was too busy focusing on the fact that she had the chance to be sponsored by one of the most popular record companies ever. It was what she'd always wanted and thought she'd have to give up on it because of her baby. But then, along came Alex, and suddenly it was happening.

Alex was responsible for her lifelong dream coming true.

* * *

**Ah my baby girl is out of Treatment! I am so happy! I wanted to update the day I found out she was out, but that didn't happen. I had to get a new hard drive for my computer and it was just a mess. So yes, I know she's out. I am ecstatic about it. So since I know, no one needs to tell me haha.**

**Review and tell me what you think of the chapter. **


	32. Birthday Sex?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place. Nor do I own Paramore. **

**I'd apologize for not updating too soon, but I realized I update awesomely for this story. It used to take me months to get a new chapter up, and you guys hardly have to wait over a week for this one. So… *pats myself on the back*

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**

Alex wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans as she and Mitchie waited for the elevator to let the out at the floor of the Torres apartment. Though it was freezing outside and they'd walked again, Alex's entire body was shaking. Not shivering, _shaking_. Once again she was scared to death of Mitchie's parents.

"You okay?" Mitchie asked, sensing Alex's discomfort.

Alex just shook her head, continuing to stare straight in front of her. She was too nervous to speak.

"You're anxious?" Mitchie raised an eyebrow. This time, Alex nodded. "What on Earth do you have to be nervous about?" Mitchie exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation.

"They're gonna hate me," Alex muttered, her face pale.

Mitchie sighed at her girlfriend's silliness. "Alex, they're going to love you simply because I do."

Alex jumped when the elevator gave a _ding_ and the doors swept open. As they stepped out into the hall, making their way to Mitchie's front door, Mitchie realized the reason for Alex's discomfort.

"Alex," she said, grabbing the other girl's hand and making her stop a few steps away from the door. "They love you, okay? Really. They've had a much longer time to adjust to this than your parents have. They know how happy you make me and love you for it. Do not doubt that. This dinner is going to be fine. Trust me."

Alex looked into Mitchie's soft brown eyes and took in a shaky breath, nodding and plastering what she hoped looked like a confident smile on her face.

"You're right, Mitch. Nothing to worry about. I'm being stupid…Again."

"Yes, you are good at that," Mitchie teased, smirking. Alex's jaw dropped, but the corners of her mouth held the traces of a smile. Mitchie put her fingers under Alex's chin, pushing it back into place. She leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on Alex's lips before lacing their fingers together and walking to the door, turning the knob and pushing it open.

The first thing they saw was the tiny kitchen table. It was pulled away from the wall where it was usually set up with an extra chair placed in the new spot. They both recognized it at once as Mitchie's desk chair. There were four places set, making the table more cramped than usual.

Next what hit them was the wonderful smell of the food. It made their mouths water. Mitchie's mother had made her favorite: tacos. She looked over to the counter, where her mother was placing the meat in the shells.

As if in a trance, Mitchie let go of Alex's hand and walked over to the plate with all of the already made tacos. She picked one up and took a large bite. Connie looked up at the sound of the crunch.

"Mitchie!" she scolded. "Can't you wait?"

Mitchie chewed and swallowed, though her mouth was burning from the fresh, hot taco meat. She licked her lips and gave her mom an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, mom." She used her sleeve to wipe her mouth. "I'm just really hungry." It was true. All they'd had at her party was cake, and that had worn off a while ago.

"Well you can wait! Goodness, Mitchie. You're going to make Alex think you were born in a cave."

"With all due respect, Mrs. Torres, after you've seen my younger brother eat, nothing surprises you anymore," Alex said with a smirk as she closed the door Mitchie had left open. "Nice to see you again," she said, walking into the kitchen. She smiled and held her breath, waiting to see how Mitchie's mom would greet her.

Connie simply returned the smile. "Nice to see you again too, Alex." And then, to Alex's surprise, Connie Torres put down her big metal spoon, took the few steps to cross the kitchen, and took Alex in her arms for a quick hug. When she pulled away, she placed her hands on Alex's shoulders and looked at her.

Alex gave a shy smile, her cheeks pink. She had no idea what else to do.

"You're so pretty, Alex," Connie said before taking one hand off her shoulder and sliding the other one along so that she had her arm around Alex and was facing Mitchie. "Mitchie, I forgot how gorgeous she is! Isn't she beautiful, Steve?" She turned herself and Alex so that they were facing the living room, where Steve was sitting on the couch, watching some rerun of a ballgame.

"Hmm?" Steve turned his attention and blinked confusedly, a smile making its way to his face when he saw Alex standing there. "Hi, Alex." He waved to her, having been oblivious to her presence until just then.

"Isn't Alex pretty, Steve?" Connie prodded.

"Mom, stop. You're embarrassing her," Mitchie said before taking another bite of the taco with a loud _crunch_.

"Mitchie, what did I tell you about those tacos?" Connie sternly looked at her daughter over her shoulder. Mitchie rolled her eyes but placed the taco back on the plate with the others.

"She's absolutely stunning," Steve said with a smile before looking at the TV again. "Mitchie's a lucky girl." And with that, his attention was lost again as he once more became absorbed in the game.

"I know I am," Mitchie said quietly.

Alex looked over her shoulder at Mitchie and smiled sheepishly, which was returned by her girlfriend whose cheeks were now red as she realized her mother was watching them. They weren't used to publicly being a couple in the presence of anyone over their age. They even kept the PDA to a minimum when their friends were around, with the exception of their kiss on the stage that night. The girls were not yet accustomed to having people peek in on their relationship, having had it totally about just the two of them for so long. Now with people watching, they felt awkward.

Sensing the tension shift in the room, Connie let go of Alex and went back to the stove to finish with the tacos. "You girls can go put your coats in Mitchie's room and wash your hands. When you come back, dinner should be on the table."

**

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**

"How am I doing so far?" Alex asked as she and Mitchie washhed their hands together in the sink after they'd removed their heavy coats and placed them on Mitchie's bed.

"You're doing great," Mitchie said honestly. "How many times do I have to tell you that they love you before you start believing it?"

"One more time." Alex smiled cheekily when Mitchie rolled her head to the side and raised her eyebrows at her girlfriend. "You know I'm only kidding." Alex leaned over and gave Mitchie a gentle kiss on the cheek, causing the other girl to smile.

"Yes, but sometimes I wonder." Mitchie took the towel off the rack, drying her hands.

Alex held out her own dripping hands for the towel when Mitchie was done, only receiving a sly smirk from the brown haired girl. Instead of just handing Alex the towel, Mitchie tossed it, hitting Alex in the face with it. It then fell into her open and waiting hands.

Alex just dried her hands and shook her head at a giggling Mitchie.

"I can't believe people think _you're_ mature one," Alex said, placing the towel back on the rack and grinning at Mitchie. To this remark, Mitchie's response was to stick her tongue out at her girlfriend. "I rest my case." Alex chuckled.

Mitchie sniffed and stuck her nose in the air, pretending to be offended as she brushed past Alex and out of the bathroom. Alex rolled her eyes and followed after her girlfriend who was now starting to waddle a little as she walked. Alex thought it was adorable, but knew if she brought it up, it would probably offend Mitchie. So she just kept her mouth shut.

When they got to the living room and Alex caught up with Mitchie, she had the urge to grab the other girl, wrap her arms around her waist from behind, rest her hands on her stomach, and lean her head on her girlfriend's shoulder. But Mr. Torres had said no public displays of affection. And she had to abide by that rule, no matter how much it sucked. There was no way she was going to do something to jeopardize Mitchie's parents liking her.

"Steve, turn that game off and come eat with your family," Connie said, placing the last plate of tacos in the correct place.

"Hold on!" he called back. "They're tied with ten seconds left on the clock."

Connie rolled her eyes and walked over, grabbing the remote and turning off the TV. "You've seen it already. It's a replay. Now come eat." She tossed the remote back on the couch and entered the kitchen again, seeing Mitchie seating herself in her usual seat and Alex standing there awkwardly. She gave the uncomfortable girl a smile. "You can sit wherever you'd like, Alex."

Alex smiled gratefully and took a seat to Mitchie's right. It was normally Steve's seat, but that didn't matter tonight. When Steve came to sit down, he felt odd not sitting in his regular spot but got over it. When Connie took her place, Alex began to get nervous again. What if they said Grace? She didn't know the words to the prayer. What if they asked her to say it?

She started to panic internally until Mitchie picked up the taco she'd been devouring earlier that her mother had put on her plate, soon followed by Connie picking up her own taco. She breathed a sigh of relief before picking up her crunchy shell filled with meat, cheese, and lettuce and crunched into it. It was so good she thought she'd died and gone to Heaven.

"So, Mitchie, how was your party?" Steve asked, taking his napkin and putting it on his lap.

Mitchie swallowed her mouthful and wiped her chin. "How'd you know about that?" she asked, not remembering having told them her birthday present ended up being a party, and looked back and forth between her parents, then to Alex.

"I invited them, but they said they couldn't make it," Alex responded.

Mitchie stared at them all incredulously. "So _everyone_ knew about this party except me?"

Her father smirked. "Pretty much."

"Did they know about the record company agent before me too?" Mitchie asked, leaning her elbow on the table and resting her cheek against her palm as she gazed at Alex.

"No…"

"Record company agent?" Connie exclaimed, putting down her taco. "What are you two talking about?"

Mitchie's face went a bit pink as she got happy and flustered just thinking about what had happened earlier that night. "Alex arranged for me to sing for the sub shop. It was a total surprise to me. An even bigger surprise was at the end when a guy in a business suit came up to me and gave me his card. He was from Hot Tunes Records"

"You got him there?" Steve asked, pointing at Alex, his eyes wide in disbelief. Alex only nodded, wanting Mitchie to tell the rest of the story.

"He said I have an amazing voice, I'm very talented, and he expects to see big things from me." Mitchie smiled proudly.

"And he wants her to record a demo!" Alex chimed in.

"After the baby is born," Mitchie added quickly. "He made that much obvious, but he still wants to work with me."

"That's amazing!" Steve said, smiling widely. "Alex, did you really do all that for Mitchie?"

Alex blushed a little and smiled. "What can I say? I believe in her. I know how much music means to her and how much she wants to pursue a music career. I'm just trying to help."

"She's been wanting it ever since she was a little girl," Connie said, nodding slightly. "And I bet your little girl is going to love singing just as much as you did when you were younger."

"Mom, we don't know if it's a girl or not." Mitchie rolled her eyes. "And before you start on it again, no. I am not naming her Mariette if she is a girl!"

"Mariette?" Alex asked, crinkling her nose. "Isn't that a puppet?"

"That's _marionette_, Alex," Mitchie said, giggling slightly.

"Oh…"

"Mariette is an adorable name," Connie defended her choice

"It means 'sea of bitterness,' Mom!" Mitchie said loudly. "And if it's a boy I'm not naming him Winchell! I want to name my child something _normal._ Something that doesn't have a crazy meaning like boar, forehead, or from the corner!"

"From the corner?" her mom asked.

"That's what Winchell means!"

"Why does anyone have to know what the names mean?" Connie folded her hands in front of her. "Mitchie doesn't have a meaning."

"It's not just the meaning, Mom!" Mitchie rubbed her temples, a headache forming. Why did her mother have to have this argument with her on her birthday of all days? "This kid is going to have it hard enough being raised by a teen mom who has a girlfriend. I don't want to complicate his or her life by naming it something totally off the wall like Ide, Parkin, Hollis, or any of the other names you've come up with!"

"Parkin is kind of cute," Alex said. Mitchie shot her a glare. "Or not." She shook her head and cleared her throat. "No. It−it's not."

Mitchie rolled her eyes and took a breath. "I want something normal for a girl, like Darcy or Hayley."

"I like Hayley!" Alex exclaimed, sitting up in her chair and smiling widely. Her eyes twinkled at the thought of Mitchie naming her daughter Hayley after the lead singer of Paramore, Alex's celebrity crush.

Mitchie gave her another look, this time more amused.

"Or ya know… Not." Alex's cheeks went red. "You can name her whatever you want."

"Well what about for a boy?" Connie asked. "You couldn't even think up a better name for your Teddy Bear than Bobby."

"I like that name!" Mitchie defended, thinking of her childhood toy which she'd cradled in her arms the night she found out she was expecting. He was now packed away in a box with some of her other old baby toys. "It's a good name. And so are Samuel and Kade."

"Samuel?" Connie raised an eyebrow at her.

"I like Samuel," Steve said, giving his input.

"I don't." Connie frowned.

"Can we just drop this, please?" Mitchie asked, sounding about as tired as she now looked. "It's my kid. I'll come up with the name. Okay?"

"Okay," Connie said, appearing to let it go as she picked up her taco again.

Mitchie breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"So if it's your kid, you can make your own follow-up ultrasound appointment?" Connie took a bite of her taco and looked at her daughter expectantly.

Mitchie slapped a hand to her forehead. "I completely forgot about that."

"I know you did," Connie said with a slight smile. "Which is why I went ahead and made you one."

"When is it?" Mitchie asked, pushing away her plate of tacos. Suddenly she wasn't hungry anymore.

"February fourteenth."

"But that's Valentine's Day!" Alex said, jumping slightly. She blushed deeply when all of the Torreses looked at her. She slid down in her seat, wanting to disappear.

"She's right, Mom," Mitchie said, reaching over and grabbing Alex's hand under the table to show she understood the outburst, that she was having the same feeling about the date. "Now that I actually have someone to spend Valentine's day with, I want to spend it with her, not some lady who squirts cold goo on my stomach!"

"It's the only day that was free!" Connie said. "I'm guessing everyone else wanted to do something on Valentine's day, which is why they all scheduled around it. It was the only day I could get in the near future."

"Fine," Mitchie said. She and Alex could always do something that night.

"The only thing is, I won't be able to go with you."

"What?" Mitchie exclaimed. She couldn't go alone! Her mother had been the only thing that had kept her calm last time.

"Valentine's day is our busiest day of the year," Connie explained. "People go on dates, couples go out to dinner… I asked to have just an hour off and that wasn't even possible. Your father will just have to go with you."

"I will?" Steve asked, looking a little scared. He hated going to those appointments when Connie was pregnant for Mitchie. It made him uncomfortable. But to go with his daughter would just be plain _awkward_.

"Yes, Steve, you will," Connie told him.

"I could go with her," Alex said quietly.

Everyone stopped and looked at her. Mitchie looked hopeful, as well as Steve. Connie just looked concerned.

"Are you sure, Alex?"

"Yes." She nodded. "I could get off work. It wouldn't be a problem."

"Do you know what goes on at these appointments?" Connie asked. She wasn't trying to discourage Alex; she just wanted to make sure the girl knew what she was getting herself into.

"They squirt goo on her stomach and then an image of the baby appears on the screen?" Alex shrugged. She didn't see what the big deal was.

Connie nodded. "Yes, you see the baby. And it's a really emotional experience. Do you think you can handle it?"

Mitchie looked from her mother to her girlfriend, holding her breath and waiting for an answer. Alex locked eyes with Mitchie.

"Yes."

Connie nodded slowly. "Okay, then. Alex will go with you to your appointment, Mitchie."

A smile spread across Mitchie's face at the thought of sharing that moment with Alex and squeezed the other girl's hand under the table. Alex returned the smile and nudged Mitchie's foot with her own. She was excited for this. She was going to get to see Mitchie's baby. Maybe if she pestered her enough, she could get the Mitchie to agree to find out the sex. Mrs. Torres made it sound like some sort of traumatizing event. She was just going to see a gray blob on a monitor. How bad could it be?

"Is there cake?" Steve asked Connie, breaking the silence and the trance Mitchie and Alex had fallen into while staring at each other.

Mitchie resisted the urge to chuckle. She'd almost forgotten it was her birthday for a second…

**

* * *

**

"Your mom came up with some crazy names," Alex commented a little over an hour later after she'd zapped herself into Mitchie's room for the first time since her parents found out they were dating. Screw laying low. It was Mitchie's birthday and she wanted to spend the night with her.

They were each lying on the side they were accustomed, but Mitchie had gotten into a habit of sleeping on her back because of her stomach over the past week or so. Therefore, Mitchie was on her back, head turned to look at Alex as Alex lay on her side beside Mitchie, their hands joined in between them.

"I know!" Mitchie said in an irritated tone. "She's becoming such a pain about it. She gave me this book of names and I've been looking through it, but none of them seem right. I don't want to name the kid something crazy! I'm so thankful she named me Mitchie and not Ebba, like she wanted me to name the baby a few weeks ago."

"Ebba?" Alex asked.

"That's the one that means boar."

"Bore?" Alex's brow furrowed. "Like, boring?"

Mitchie shook her head a little in the dark. "No, boar like the animal."

"Ew." Alex smirked. "Why would she want you to name the baby that?"

"I don't know, honestly." Mitchie sighed. "I almost feel like she wishes she would have had more kids, so she's trying to do that through me and her grandchild. If she wants to be a mom again so badly, she can give birth to the baby herself. I'd gladly let her do it."

"Are you scared about that?" Alex asked. "About the pain?"

"A little," Mitchie admitted. "But I try not to think about it."

Alex nodded, understanding. If she knew she was going to be in excruciating pain in a few months, she wouldn't want to dwell on that either.

"Alex?" Came Mitchie's soft voice.

"Yeah?"

"I never got to fully thank you…For the getting that guy from the record company to come, for the party itself…For just being here and being the amazing girlfriend that you are." Mitchie turned slightly so she was facing Alex better, looking at her partner.

Alex smiled a little. "I think you just did."

"No, I didn't. But I'm about to."

Before Alex could say anything, Mitchie leaned forward and pressed her lips against hers. Alex smiled into it and was about to pull away when she felt Mitchie's hand rest on the back of her head, pressing their lips together even more. Alex leaned in closer, their bodies pressed together as much as they could be with Mitchie's stomach. When she felt Mitchie part her lips slightly, Alex slipped her hot tongue into Mitchie's equally hot mouth, exploring. Rarely did they kiss this way, and it was always something special. Alex touched the tip of her tongue to Mitchie's as she leaned on her elbows, propping herself up so she was directly above Mitchie. The slightly younger brunette ran her hands through Alex's raven hair, dragging her nails over her scalp lightly and causing her to shiver.

Alex felt a hot hand make its way up the back of her shirt, making bumps appear on her skin. She bit Mitchie's lip lightly and shivered more as the hand trailed all the way up her back, dangerously close to her bra.

When Alex realized where Mitchie's fingers were and the position they were in, she instantly pulled out of the kiss and looked down at her girlfriend. Mitchie's eyes flashed open, concerned.

"What, what's wrong?" she asked, her breathing heavy.

Alex shook her head, panting. "I can't." She sat up, making Mitchie's hand leave her shirt. Once all body contact was lost, she began to feel a little better. Her body temperature sure was high, but that would calm down eventually.

Mitchie placed her hands over her face and stayed lying down, trying to regain her breathing. The only sounds hear in the room for the next minute or so were of the two girls panting. Finally, Mitchie sat up, struggling a little because of her belly.

"Alex…" She placed a hand on the other girl's shoulder, slightly hurt when her girlfriend flinched. "Talk to me."

Alex was silent for a few moments before she muttered, "I can't let myself get carried away with you."

"Why not?" Mitchie asked. "Do you think you're going to hurt me physically or emotionally? Because last time I checked, kissing won't harm me. And emotionally…You're hurting me by rejecting me, Alex."

Alex closed her eyes, guilt washing over her. This hurt her just as much, knowing she was hurting someone she cared about so deeply.

"I didn't know how far that was going to go," Alex said quietly as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "I had to stop myself before I did something stupid."

"You sound like Edward Cullen right now. And I hate him," Mitchie said crossly. "But I love you, so please tell me why you're acting like this." She looked at Alex's back, pleading with her eyes though her girlfriend could not see this.

Finally, Alex sighed and turned. "I don't want to sleep with you."

Mitchie's face went from scared to hurt. "Oh…" she cleared her throat. "Guess it's more comfortable to sleep in your big bed all alone than in this tiny one with this big thing." She looked down and placed a hand on her stomach as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. "You can leave if you want to..."

Alex shook her head furiously quick. "No, Mitchie, that's not what I meant!" Alex said in an urgent whisper to not be heard by Mitchie's parents though to convey her emotions. She took Mitchie's hand off her stomach and the other one in her own, squeezing them. "I meant I don't want to have sex with you."

Mitchie's head snapped up, her features now angry. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" She yanked her hands away and crossed them over her chest.

"That didn't come out right." Alex ran a frustrated hand through her hair. "What I mean is, you're gorgeous, Mitchie. And I love you. Very, very much. When we kiss like that, I feel so much… Too much. I get carried away and as things get more heated, I know I won't be able to stop myself from going too far. I don't want to cross a line. And even if you're ready to take that step over that line, I'm not. I'm not saying you are, but… We've just never talked about it, ya know?" Alex took a breath. She knew she was rambling; she just hoped she was making sense. "I am very attracted to you. Sometimes it takes all of my energy not to just grab you and start kissing you. And when we kiss, I want to do… inappropriate things to you."

She blushed, and even though it was dark, she could tell Mitchie was blushing as well. Mitchie bit her lip and glanced down at the bedspread. She wasn't mad anymore, that much Alex could tell.

"I just don't want to rush things or push you to do something you may not want to do," Alex continued. "I don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you to do anything. Mitchie, God, honestly… I'd love to make love to you. I want it more than just about anything in the world."

Mitchie looked up and locked eyes with Alex. "I want that too," she said softly. "You talk about how beautiful I am. But look at me, Alex. I'm a whale. You're the attractive one. You've got a nice, toned stomach and flawless features."

"You're not a whale, Mitchie. And don't you say that about yourself ever again," Alex scolded. "You're beautiful."

"I just don't get it, Alex. How could you want me?" Mitchie pulled her sleeves over her thumbs and dabbed at her eyes. "I can't stand the thought of you looking at my stretch marks when your stomach is so perfect."

"Stop it," Alex said, turning fully towards Mitchie and grabbing her face. "Stop it right now, Mitchie Torres. I love you and you are fucking perfect to me, okay? The _only _reason I don't want to have sex with you is because I respect you and your condition. I will not intrude on that baby. Your body belongs to him or her right now, not me. It is not because you are pregnant that I do not want to sleep with you. It is because I love you and I wouldn't feel right if our first time was under these circumstances." Alex moved her hands from Mitchie's face to her shoulders, talking softer. "If things were different, I would have fucked you senseless by now. But as things are as they are, I love you, I want to have sex with you, but I will not. So please do not hold that against me."

Mitchie just stared at Alex as the raven haired girl searched her face, trying to gage her reaction. Mitchie's eyes were wide and she was staring. Alex became panicky.

"God damn it, Mitchie, say something!"

Mitchie smiled. "I fucking love you," she said softly.

Alex gave a relieved smile. "I fucking love you too."

Mitchie brought her hand up and stroked Alex's cheek. "You're right, we should wait. At least until after the baby comes. And we should talk about it more when we're getting close. That way, this won't happen again." She smiled a little. "I want it to be perfect. It can be like how our first times should have been."

Alex frowned a little. "Our? You mean yours, don't you?"

Mitchie frowned as well. "No…Ours."

"But I've never had my first time," Alex said, pointing to herself. "I'm a virgin."

Mitchie stared, a little dumbstruck. "But…What about Nikki? You said she just wanted you for sex?"

"She did." Alex nodded slightly. "But I didn't give it to her."

"Oh." She slumped her shoulders and pouted a little. Now she was ashamed again. Alex not being a virgin actually made her feel better, not as stupid. But Alex was smart enough to figure out she was being used, unlike Mitchie…

"Mitchie, are you actually upset that I'm a virgin?" Alex asked, seeing her girlfriend's reaction. When Mitchie didn't answer, Alex put the pieces together in her head. "Hey." She grabbed Mitchie's hands, making the other girl look at her. "You know it doesn't matter to me. If it mattered, I wouldn't be here. I don't look down on you and I don't look at you differently because of it. In fact, if it hadn't happened, you wouldn't be here with me right now. And you wouldn't have a little baby on the way for you to love and for me to spoil rotten." This got Mitchie to smile despite herself. "You can't keep looking at it as a mistake. We all make them. Look at me and the school. If I hadn't done that, I wouldn't have spent so much time with you and once again, we wouldn't be here. Life is about making mistakes, it's part of growing up. It's how you deal with them that's important."

Mitchie looked at Alex carefully, a bit shocked by the wise words. Months ago, you'd never have heard the teenager speaking like that. But now, here she was at seventeen, and she was coming up with brilliance. Mitchie could hardly believe it. Then again, she'd begun to get used to Alex coming up with spectacular things.

"You're incredible, do you know that?" Mitchie shook her head slightly with a small smile.

Alex looked at the ceiling, like she was thinking about it. "Yes," she said, looking back at Mitchie with that trademark smirk. "Yes, I do know that, actually."

Mitchie chuckled softly. "You're a dork."

"But I'm you're dork, Birthday Girl."

"That's true, it's still my birthday."

Alex looked over her shoulder at the clock. "For another five minutes or so, yes."

"Then can I have one last birthday wish?" Mitchie asked, to which Alex nodded. "Kiss me for the next five minutes. I promise to go slow and not make things get too heated. I just want you to kiss me."

Alex bit her lip gently, smiling to herself at how cute Mitchie was. Who asked for stuff like that? Mitchie. Mitchie did. And it was adorable.

"Your wish, is my command."

Mitchie didn't know whether or not she'd wanted to have sex earlier. Sure, she had a pretty good feeling that she wouldn't have stopped if Alex had initiated it, but that hadn't been what she was going for. She wasn't even conscious of her actions, just doing what felt natural. And she was glad Alex had stopped it and not wanted to go to that next step. If Mitchie had had any doubt that Alex actually cared about her (which she didn't), that speech would have diminished them. But Alex was right. They shouldn't have sex. Not yet anyway. She was sure of it.

And now, as Alex placed her lips against her own and her heart raced, she knew it would be hard to wait. But, she also knew that it would be well worth the wait when that magical moment finally came.

* * *

**I haven't been updating in accordance with the date anymore. I kind of got off track. I'll try to get a Valentine's thing up for V-Day, but no promises. I have FOUR huge exams coming up. **

**For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you guys know I was pretty upset the other day. I just wanna say thanks for those of you who were concerned about me. It really means a lot. It's a bad time of year for me. And it was just a bad day in general, plus I'm stressed with school.**

**GUYS…Like, four chapters left…**

**REVIEW!**


	33. Beautiful Little Accident

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place or Camp Rock.**

**WARNING: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows spoiler! If you have not read the final book (you're deprived, first of all), and only watch the movies, something will be ruined for you. And if you just watch the movies but don't read the books… SHAME ON YOU! –shakes head-

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**

"Why are you crossing your legs like that?" Alex asked, pointing at Mitchie's legs.

Mitchie shifted on the exam table, making the paper crinkle. "Because I have to pee."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Then go."

"I can't. Not until after the ultra sound."

"Well you should have gone before."

"My bladder has to be full for the ultrasound to work properly!" Mitchie said quickly, losing a little bit of her patience. "Can we talk about something else, please?" All that talking about her having to go to the bathroom made her have to even worse.

"Like what?" Alex asked, spinning around on the doctor's exam stool. The tips of her Converse sneakers dragged along the ground, slowing her. She gave herself another push and spun again, her eyes meeting with Mitchie's with each rotation.

Mitchie smiled as she watched Alex. She'd been annoyed with her for a split second, only because she was irritable because of the full bladder and still on edge from that dreaded subway ride. But now, seeing Alex being all adorable like that, her annoyance faded.

"Like how cute you look right now."

Alex stopped spinning and cracked a grin. "Oh really? You think I look cute right now?"

"Well, you're always cute, but right now you're extra cute." Mitchie gave the other girl a wink.

And Alex really was. Her hair was styled in two pigtails, each hanging over her shoulders. She was wearing a green, light hoodie with its sleeves rolled up, paired with her usual skinny jeans and black Converse. Mitchie envied her. She was in that ugly exam gown again and after the appointment, she was just going to get dressed in her maternity wear again. But, that didn't stop her from loving the way Alex looked.

"You're not so bad yourself, Torres," Alex said with a smirk as she kicked off the ground and began spinning again.

"Always the charmer, Alex," Mitchie joked as her eyes followed her girlfriend. "You must be getting dizzy because you're making me sick just watching you."

"You're pregnant. Clean air makes you woozy," Alex quipped before sticking her tongue out at Mitchie on her next rotation.

"Hey!" she protested, frowning a little. "I haven't thrown up in like, a month!"

"Whatever." Alex shrugged, coming to a stop. She was growing bored with the spinning chair.

She stood and attempted to cross the room to the chairs that didn't spin, but on her first step she stumbled. The ground beneath her was moving and swaying and the room still looked as if it was going around in a circle.

Alex planted her feet firmly on the ground, grabbing her head and blinking rapidly.

"Dizzy?" Mitchie questioned with a knowing smile as she watched Alex try to get her bearings.

"It feels like it's never gonna stop!" She ran a hand down her face. "It just keeps going round and round!"

"I'd help you over to the chair, but if I get up, the back of my gown is going to open," Mitchie said. "And no one wants to see that."

Alex took her hand from her face and smirked. "Actually, I do want to see that." She held out her hand. "Help me, Mitchie," she said in a baby voice with a pout on her face.

Mitchie rolled her eyes. "Just go sit down."

Alex dropped her hand to her side and kept pouting, but stomped over to the chairs where their coats lay nonetheless. No sooner had she moved one of the coats on top of the other and placed her butt in the chair closest to Mitchie did the door open and Dr. Leslie Chase walked in.

"Hello, Mitchie," the woman said as she closed the door behind her. "Good to see you again."

"You too, Dr. Chase."

"Doctor?" Alex asked, quirking an eyebrow. "I didn't think ultra sound technicians were doctors."

"Most aren't," Dr. Chase said, giving an understanding smile. She got this a lot. "But I was a medical doctor for a year or so before I realized I simply couldn't stand the sight of that much blood. So, I got the training and education required to do this instead. But I'm still technically a doctor, so I keep my title."

"So…All that money spent on med school kind of got wasted?" Alex looked at Dr. Chase blankly, waiting for an answer.

The edges of Dr. Chase's lips twitched as her smile faltered ever so slightly. "Kind of."

Alex caught the look Dr. Chase was giving her, saw the distaste in her eyes. Obviously she hated when people pointed this out and was still kicking herself about it. Obviously she still hated being reminded of the fact that she was still in debt from an education she wasn't even using. But that wasn't Alex's fault. She was just a curious girl.

"Where's your mom, Mitchie?" Dr. Chase asked as Alex ducked her head, avoiding the glare.

"She had to work," the girl answered.

"So she sent you with a little friend I see." Dr. Chase darted another glance at Alex before she bent down to ready the equipment, strands of her blond hair falling into her eyes.

"Something like that." Mitchie smirked to herself, knowing Alex was a little more than a friend. But this lady didn't need to know that. "This is Alex."

Dr. Chase stopped fooling around with the equipment long enough to look up at the girl Mitchie had just introduced. The dark haired girl gave an innocent smile and Dr. Chase just gave her a blank stare back.

"Pleasure," she said plainly.

Alex couldn't help but feel like she was Ron Weasley and she had just gotten brushed off by Hermione Granger on the train on the way to Hogwarts. Only she didn't think she and Dr. Chase would fall in love in the end…

"If you'll lie back and lift your gown, Mitchie, we can begin," Dr. Chase said, holding up the transducer probe.

Mitchie shivered, remembering the shock sent to her nerves when that cold good had been squirted on her stomach. It was much bigger now, and had nasty stretch marks in odd places. She completely forgot that Alex would have to see it for this appointment. She didn't want that. She didn't want Alex to see her when she was that disgusting. But there was no getting around it. It had to be done and it was too late to change her mind about Alex joining her because they were already there! And she knew there was no way she could get Alex to wait out in the hallway.

She sighed. It was no use. Closing her eyes so she wouldn't see Alex's reaction, she lay back on the exam table and lifted her gown above her stomach. Then she rested her hands on the table, palms down and kept her eyes closed.

Alex stared in amazement. Mitchie's stomach looked so much bigger when it wasn't under the cover of her overly large shirts or her big coat. And there were squiggly pinkish-purple lines along the sides. Alex hadn't known what she'd been expecting, but it wasn't that. She guessed she was expected a smooth, rounded stomach like they showed on TV and in movies. They seemed to glamorize pregnancy by not showing the stretch marks.

When Alex's looked to Mitchie's face, she saw the other girl's eyes shut tight, could see the nerves. Hesitantly, Alex reached out and wrapped her slightly shaky fingers around Mitchie's. Brown eyes flashed open and looked down at the interlocked fingers, then up to Alex's face. Alex offered the best smile she could muster, but Mitchie took what she could get. She instantly calmed.

Then Dr. Chase squirted the jelly onto Mitchie's stomach. The chilly gel making contact with her flesh caused Mitchie to hiss and subconsciously give Alex's fingers a delicate squeeze. The doctor wasted no time pressing the transducer probe into the goo, and started spreading it over the teen mother's stomach.

Mitchie forgot all of her anxiety about the way she looked in front of Alex as she remembered what happened last time she got an ultrasound. Her eyes fixed on the monitor above her head, waiting. She wanted that second look. Sure, she had the pictures in her room from the first appointment, but those were still. She wanted to see her baby move, wanted to see _life._

Alex also had her eyes on the screen, trying to make a shape out of the black and gray mass. A muffled, steady heartbeat now came from the speakers. It was going much slower than Alex's fast-paced heart.

And then Alex saw it.

First it was the head, then the body, and then… The hand. A little, tiny hand. It went from being by the side of the body to suspended in front of its face, miniature fingers spread out…Almost like it was waving. And then, it popped its little thumb into its mouth.

"See that? It's sucking its thumb," Dr. Chase said, pointing at the monitor.

Alex stared, slack jawed and amazed. It wasn't even born yet and it was already sucking its thumb? What else could it do?

As if answering her question, the baby began to turn over. Alex looked from the screen to Mitchie's stomach, which was shifting under the probe thing the doctor was gliding across her girlfriend's enlarged midsection. Alex nearly jumped when she realized this. For the first time it was registering in her head that there was a person right under the layer of skin that was Mitchie's stomach. And she'd just seen it move inside of her girlfriend.

Mitchie, just like the last time, could not take her eyes from the screen. There he or she was. And this time, so much more active. She had to stop herself from reaching out and touching the screen. It almost didn't seem real. This was hers, and it was beautiful…Her beautiful little accident.

"You still don't want to know the sex, correct?" Dr. Chase asked.

Mitchie had been set on not knowing when she woke up that morning. Alex had tried to talk her into finding out, but she'd put her foot down. Now, though, she wasn't so certain. She looked to her girlfriend, wanting to ask her what she should do (although she already knew what the answer would be, but she just wanted to hear it). But Alex wasn't looking at her. She'd half expected Alex to jump in and ask the doctor what the baby was some time earlier, but she never did. Now Mitchie saw why. Alex was too busy staring down at Mitchie's stomach, her face white and a blank expression on her face.

Mitchie frowned. "No, no thanks," she said, not looking away from Alex.

Dr. Chase nodded. "Well, everything looks normal. I'll print up a copy of these pictures, and you can be on your way."

She began to turn off the machine and spoke more about where Mitchie could pick up the pictures, but the seventeen year-old had stopped listening. She was too busy watching Alex, who looked more scared than Mitchie had ever seen anyone look in her entire life.

**

* * *

**

The ride back was spent in silence. The walk to Mitchie's apartment from the subway stop was spent in silence. And the ride in the elevator to the third floor was spent in…Silence.

By the time Mitchie unlocked the door and walked inside, she was growing tired of Alex's shocked state. She knew that Alex hadn't been expecting what she'd seen, but how much more time would it take for her to adjust?

"Want something to eat?" Mitchie asked, taking off her coat.

Alex shook her head, making no move to take off her own coat.

"Drink?" Mitchie bit her lip and waited for an answer. All she got was another shake of the head. She rolled her eyes and went to her room, placing her coat back in her closet. When she returned to the living room, Alex was seated on the couch, staring off into space.

Mitchie went and sat beside her, body turned towards Alex, eyes on her girlfriend's face. But the other girl just kept staring at the TV, which was off.

"Alex!" Mitchie snapped.

Alex jumped at the sudden outburst and the sound of her name. She looked to her left to see that Mitchie was now seated beside her. When had Mitchie sat down? Better yet, when had _she_ sit down? Hell, when had they even gotten on the subway to come back? Everything after seeing Mitchie's stomach shift until then was all sort of a blur.

"Yeah?" she asked, blinking rapidly.

"What are you doing?" Mitchie looked at her worriedly.

"Nothing," Alex said quickly. "Just…Thinking."

Mitchie raised an eyebrow. "About?"

"Just stuff…" Alex put on a smile Mitchie _knew _was fake. "Nothing to worry about."

Mitchie stared at her girlfriend for a few moments before sighing through her nose. "Then why am I worried?"

Alex wanted to tell her that it was just because she was silly that she was worrying. But she couldn't do that. She couldn't come up with anything cute or clever to say. Usually she avoided situations with her wit or charm, but she just couldn't find it in her this time. It's like those traits were switched off at the moment. Why couldn't she make a joke or shake off this odd feeling of panic? Then it hit her.

She couldn't joke to relieve the tension she felt because there was no way to do so. Reality was crashing around her, fast. Mitchie was pregnant. Mitchie was having a baby. Mitchie was going to be a mother.

These were all things she knew before she'd even ever laid eyes on her current girlfriend or come into contact with her, but they never really seemed to be real until that very moment. The weight of the situation fell onto her shoulders almost instantly. Mitchie's pregnancy had always been right in front of her face, but she never saw it. It had always been hanging over their heads like a dark cloud, but they'd been shielded by the umbrella of avoidance. But now the situation was becoming inevitable. It was becoming too _real._

Up until that moment, the baby had just been an idea. It was like a character in a story, someone who gets talked about but never exists. Alex could see an illustration of a character and the character could still not be real to her, just like by seeing a blurry picture of the baby could still not make it seem real. But the moment she saw it move on screen, saw it suck its existent thumb, saw the life just inches from her nervous, shaking hands, that child became real to her. There was a person inside Mitchie, someone Alex would, by association and extension, be responsible for. Mitchie, for the past seven months, had been preparing herself for parenthood. Alex…Had not.

"You're having a baby," Alex said quietly.

"Very observant of you, Alex," Mitchie said bluntly. "How long have you known this?"

"Always, it's just…" Alex stopped, licking her dry lips. She shook her head and stood from the couch, too much nervous energy in her legs to remain sitting. "Like, you're _really _having a baby!"

"I know… What's your point?" Mitchie stared at her girlfriend, wondering where she was going with this.

"_You're having a baby!_" Alex threw her hands out in front of her, gesturing towards Mitchie's stomach.

Mitchie raised an eyebrow. "Are you broken?" she asked, referring to Alex only being able to repeat the same obvious statement over and over.

"No." Alex shook her head quickly.

"Then what's wrong with you?" Mitchie stood, with some difficulty because of her stomach, then placed a hand on the bulge under her shirt. "You've known this for _months_. Why is it all of a sudden hitting you now?"

"Because I finally saw it," Alex said. "And for the first time, I'm realizing that there's an actual person inside of you." She looked from Mitchie's face to her bulging belly. "And I'm a little freaked out now that it's finally hit me."

Mitchie's heart clenched, fear taking over her. In nature, when animals became in danger, they acted out the Fight or Flight response. Fight would be to stay and face the challenge before them. Flight would be to run away from the possible danger. Flight was safer, easier. But fight took courage. Alex's world was in danger, Mitchie now realized. Her girlfriend had always been used to looking out for herself, and only herself. Alex was a selfish little brat before she'd met Mitchie, and since their meeting, had started morphing into the amazing person she was now. But there were still traces of the old Alex fighting to break through at moments, like right now. The old Alex would choose flight, every time. But what the new, mature Alex would fight. Which one was present now? Mitchie had the sick feeling she didn't want to find out.

"So, what, you thought I was smuggling a watermelon under my shirt this whole time?" Mitchie asked viciously, tears threatening to pour from her eyes. How much could she possibly cry before she was all out of tears?

"No…" Alex stared, eyes wide.

"Then why are you being like this _now_?" Mitchie sniffled, trying to breathe through her nose that became stuffy almost as soon as her eyes welled with tears. "Do you all of a sudden not think you can handle this anymore?"

Alex shuffled her feet nervously. "I don't know…Maybe."

"Maybe!" Mitchie's knees felt weak. This was _a_ fight, for sure, but it wasn't the kind of fight she'd been hoping for. "You knew what you were getting into from the beginning! You knew I was having a baby! You wouldn't listen to my fears or concerns about the future. You just said we'd figure it out as we went along! Well, we're here, Alex! What do you want to do now?"

Alex said nothing, just put her hands in her pockets and stared at the floor.

Mitchie sighed and ran a hand down her face. "Don't say this isn't what you asked for, because it is. _You_ fought for this relationship a lot harder than I did. I had my doubts, and _you _were the one who was sure." She looked at Alex through blurry, blood-shot eyes. "But it was all fun and games, wasn't it? Yeah, it's fine to be in a relationship as long as I'm still pregnant, but as soon as reality sets in and you realize you might actually have to be responsible for something, you start having your doubts." She shook her head. "You know, your parents tried to warn me, but I stood my ground. I believed in you, in us. But now, I'm not so sure."

"I'm just trying to adjust, Mitchie," Alex said, her heart in her stomach. This was not how she'd expected today to go _at all_.

"Bull shit!" Mitchie yelled forcefully. "You've had time to adjust! Months of it! In fact, you shouldn't have to adjust at all since you _knew_. You knew from the beginning, but you still pushed for this. And then you made me fall for you."

"Mitchie, it's not like that." Alex took a step forward, but Mitchie took a step away.

"I told you on that roof, before we were even in a relationship, that being with me was like becoming a parent," she said angrily, unshed tears still fresh in her eyes. "I never once expected that from you, though. I simply warned you. And I never would have asked that of you. You simply had to be my girlfriend, not a mother or a father or whatever. You simply had to love _me_."

"And I do!" Alex could feel her chest caving in. It felt like this was going to be a goodbye. "I just never realized the seriousness of the situation until today."

Mitchie pursed her lips and finally allowed the tears to fall. Without a word, she walked over to the door and opened it. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Alex. This was the moment of truth. Fight or flight.

"If you feel you need to figure things out, leave. Because you're about to make me go into early labor with all this stress."

Mitchie's heart nearly broke at the torn look she saw on Alex's face. _Nearly._ What _did_ break it was when Alex crossed the room, not even darting a glance in Mitchie's direction, and walked out the door, pulling it closed behind her.

Mitchie's mouth opened in a silent scream as pain rippled through her chest. She slapped her hand over her gaping mouth and leaned against the wall, slowly sliding to the floor. She knew she probably wouldn't be able to get up by herself, but at that moment, she didn't care. She could do nothing but cry over the path she had albeit forced Alex to choose:

_Flight._

**

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**

Out on the sidewalk, Alex looked up at the apartment window, wishing Mitchie would come to it. She wanted nothing more than for Mitchie to just walk over and look out, to see her there. She wanted her to open it and yell out to her that she was sorry, to come back up.

But Alex knew that wouldn't happen.

Mitchie was right. She was the one that pushed for the relationship, but what were they supposed to do? Ignore the feelings? That would have made both of them miserable. Then again, they'd be no different than right now. But Mitchie was also right about Alex. She hadn't been thinking about the future. She'd been living in the moment, and now it was proved that maybe that wasn't the best thing to do.

She'd certainly made a mess of the entire situation. And now, she was going to have to fix it. But the question was, did she want to fix it?

This was her out. If she didn't want to be with Mitchie anymore, this would be the time to leave. To walk away and not look back.

Most guys given this opportunity would take that deal. But Alex wasn't most guys. Hell, she wasn't even a guy at all. And she sure as hell wasn't a coward. She used to be. But then she started changing. The thing she did best when she was in trouble or things got too hard was run. She'd run that day when she lit her school on fire. But this time, she wasn't running. She was facing this head on.

The old Alex Russo was gone. It may have taken Mitchie kicking her out to realize that, but she did.

She actually had something worth keeping. Yes, she knew it would be hard, but it was worth it in her opinion.

_What do you want to do now? _Mitchie had asked her. At the time, she didn't have an answer. She didn't know what she wanted at all. But now, looking up at that empty window and thinking about Mitchie and how much it hurt to walk away, she knew. Knowing the love of her life was most likely up there crying her eyes out, she knew. Knowing there was a life on the way that she didn't want to miss out on, she _knew_.

The decision was made, and there was no turning back. Alex Russo wasn't running. But there was something she had to do first.

So, though it killed her, she turned away from the window and walked away from the building…Away from Mitchie.

But only for a little while.

**

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**

Caitlyn walked fast and with purpose down the sidewalk. She was skipping out of dance practice, but that didn't matter. Right now she had more important things to do.

As soon as she got out of school, she checked her phone. She had a sobbing voicemail from Mitchie and called her back immediately.

Now she was on her way to Mitchie's apartment to clean up the mess Alex had made. And she was furious about it. She'd trusted Alex not to hurt Mitchie. But she'd gone ahead and done it. The next time Caitlyn saw Alex, heads would roll. And one of those would be Alex's.

As she was contemplating who she hated more at that moment, Shane or Alex, something caught her eye that made her stop.

A girl with raven hair and tan skin walked out of a bookstore on the corner. She had multiple bags in her hands. Her coat looked _very _familiar and the girl was wearing skinny jeans paired with Converse. At first Caitlyn wasn't sure if it was who she thought it was, because who she thought it was didn't strike her as the bookstore type…But who else could it be?

"Russo!" Caitlyn yelled, balling her fists and walking quickly towards the person.

Alex looked up, hearing a familiar voice call her last name. She smiled when she saw it was a friendly person, even if she didn't look too friendly at the moment.

"Caitlyn?" was all Alex had time to say before a hand made contact with her face.

The _smack _sound hung in the air as the stinging in Alex's cheek rose. Alex covered her cheek with her hand and rubbed it gently. The impact had made her head turn. But now, she looked back at Caitlyn, glaring slightly.

"Never took you for bitch slapper, Geller," Alex said in an even tone. "Sucker punch seems more your style."

"Well, considering who I was delivering it to, a _bitch_ slap seemed appropriate."

Alex ran her fingertips over the stinging skin and bit the inside of her mouth. "I assume you've talked to Mitchie." Caitlyn merely nodded; Alex exhaled through her nose. "Then I deserved that."

"Actually, you deserve for me to kick your ass," Caitlyn said, taking a dangerous step towards Alex. "But I'd get kicked off the dance team if I got caught fighting. So I can't." She took a step back. "But if not, your ass would be mine!"

"I know, Caitlyn," Alex said calmly.

"I hope you're satisfied," Caitlyn said. "She's devastated."

"I know she is," Alex said, looking down. "I feel awful about it."

"You look it," Caitlyn said sarcastically.

"I really do." Alex looked up again. "But I think I can fix things… I want to fix things. She was right, Caitlyn. I was a complete idiot to think we could just go with it. But I know that now. And I think I know just what needs to be done to make everything better… Right now, and hopefully for the future."

"Who says she wants you to fix things?" Caitlyn exclaimed. "You already fucked them up."

"And I figured out how to un-fuck them up!"

"How?" Caitlyn raised a skeptical eyebrow. Alex just gave her a determined look in return. "Alex…If you want to fix things so badly, why have you been God only knows where for the last two hours, instead of apologizing to her? Why am I skipping practice to comfort her instead of you being there? And what the fuck compelled you, of all people, to go into a bookstore?"

"I know, it seems ridiculous. But look, just go to practice. I'm going straight there now to fix it. Trust me," Alex said, holding up one of her plastic shopping bags in front of her. "It's all part of the plan."

**

* * *

**

"It's about time!" Mitchie said as she heard banging on her door. Her eyes and nose were red and puffy from all the crying she'd been doing. Eventually she'd been able to call Caitlyn, but then she moved to her bed (after some difficulty getting off the floor) and had not moved from it since. She was fairly certain there was a permanent makeup stain on her pillow, but she couldn't care less about that at the moment.

Right now, Caitlyn was at her door, and she needed her best friend. So, she swung the door open, ready to great her.

"You have no idea how much I need y−" and then Mitchie stopped, realizing it wasn't Caitlyn standing before her. It was Alex.

The two girls stared at each other for a little while, neither saying anything. Tension was in the air. Mitchie's hand still gripped the door, her knuckles turning white from holding it so tightly.

"If you're going to slam the door in my face, just know I'm going to zap myself in," Alex warmed gently. "Because this is important…"

"I wasn't going to slam the door in your face," Mitchie said quietly. And that was the truth. She had no intention of kicking Alex out again.

"Can I come in?" Alex asked sheepishly, expecting to have a big, fat _No_ yelled in her face. But it never came. Instead, Mitchie stepped aside and let Alex walk inside, shutting the door behind her. Alex set her shopping bags on the ground. Mitchie took notice, but said nothing about them.

"I'm sorry," Mitchie said after a few moments of awkward silence.

Alex looked at her as if she'd grown a second head. "Why are _you _sorry? I'm the one who was being stupid!"

"No, you were being a normal seventeen year-old girl," Mitchie said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Normal seventeen year-old girls don't have to deal with this crap. And I forget that you don't think about or realize the seriousness of the situation as much as I do. You don't have a constant reminder under your shirt." Mitchie stopped, trying to swallow, but her throat was incredibly dry. "Those ultrasounds… They're intense. And they can cause shock. My mom tried to warn us, but neither of us listened." She sniffled, then used her shirt sleeve to wipe her nose. She knew it was gross, but at that moment she didn't care. "I said I wasn't expecting you to take on the responsibility of a parent, but the truth is… I wanted you to. But you're not ready for that, and I just have to accept it."

"Stop," Alex said gently but forcefully. "Just stop it, okay? Quit thinking you're wrong to want that. It's normal for someone in your position to want that. And you're right, I'm not ready… In a lot of ways. But I'm going to learn."

Alex bent down and picked up a shopping bag. One after another, she dumped the contents on the floor. Out fell books with babies on the cover, bottles, tiny garments of clothing, and other various items. Mitchie looked from the mess on the floor to Alex, stunned.

"What is all of this stuff, Alex?"

"I know we had reservations for dinner tonight," Alex said, making Mitchie remember that this crazy day was still Valentine's Day. "But I think we should cancel. Instead, I want to stay in with you tonight. I want to go through this stuff, find out what some of this crap does, read these books, and maybe watch this video I got." Alex bent down and picked up a DVD case from the pile, holding it up for Mitchie to see. "I want you to teach me all you've learned so far in preparation for being a parent, and then I want us to learn more…Together." She caught Mitchie's gaze and held it. "Because I don't want to miss out on a single thing. You're a part of me, Mitchie. And I can't imagine life without you. And that means a life with your child as well. It's not a burden; it's not something I look at as a negative. I _want _to do this. I want to be there for you and him or her whenever either of you need me. And I don't just want to be 'Mommy's girlfriend' or 'Auntie Alex.' I want to be Mommy Al or Mama or even Daddy if that's what my name to child ends up being. But the point is, I don't want be an accessory. I don't want to be someone who is there for a while, then gone. I want to be a permanent figure in this kid's life." She dropped the DVD and took a deep breath, preparing herself for the next sentence. "I'm here for the long haul, Mitchie, whether you like it or not. I love you, and I love your baby. It took you kicking my ass out of here to really make me understand that, but I do now. And you're not going to be getting rid of me easily now that I've decided to stay. And I'm stubborn. There's no going back for me. This is it. You're _it_ for me." She stepped over the pile of junk at her feet and said very quietly, "I'm not going anywhere."

Mitchie's heart went into overtime and the baby practically started doing somersaults in her stomach. She reached up and cupped Alex's cheeks in her hands. Alex placed her hands atop Mitchie's, rubbing the backs of her hands with her thumbs. Brown eyes locked together, neither daring to look away. Mitchie ran a thumb over Alex's pouty lips, the lips she adored so much.

"You promise never to leave me again?" Mitchie asked vulnerably, just to get clarification.

"I never left in the first place," Alex said softly before giving the pad of Mitchie's thumb a gentle kiss. "But no, never."

The corners of Mitchie's mouth twitched slightly as she smiled through the tears. "I love you."

"I love you, Mitchie," Alex whispered. "Always."

Mitchie moved her thumb from Alex's mouth to replace it with her lips, giving the other girl a sweet, loving kiss. Alex returned it, relief flooding her entire body. She'd been afraid she'd never kiss these lips again. Now she was confident she'd never have to stop (figuratively).

When they pulled out of the short kiss, they embraced each other, Alex's arms snaking around Mitchie's waist as well as they could and Mitchie's going around Alex's neck. Mitchie buried her face in the slightly older girl's shoulder, instantly feeling tired now that she was no longer heartbroken and anxious. A tiny smile made its way to her face as she realized Alex hadn't fled after all. Instead, she picked the response for which Mitchie had been hoping:

_Fight.

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_

**This is how my brain works: "Oh, I didn't get a lot of reviews last chapter. So that means they don't care about this story as much as they used to. Well I guess that means they won't be upset if I don't update for a little while."**

**And there you go. One of the reasons it took me longer than usual to update. It actually really upset me that I got significantly less reviews for last chapter than usual. And especially with the last scene that I wrote! I even enabled anonymous reviews before I posted that chapter, and I still got less. Not cool, babes.**

**I review the stories I read (most of them, anyway). I do this out of RESPECT for the writer. We writers work off feedback. It's actually crucial to the story and my attitude towards it. If I think no one cares, I won't care as much. **

**Another reason for the delay, I was busy. Lots of exams. And then there was the depression, which if you follow me on Twitter, you know all about. But let's not talk about it here…**

**Actually, it makes me sad when I don't get the amount of reviews I'm used to. Like "Oh, they didn't like that :(" and then I go be all upset. So… Come on. Make me smile! Anonymous reviews are enabled, so there's no excuse! Go ahead…**

**REVIEW!**


	34. Yes, Alex, We Know You Like Cake

**Disclaimer: Last time I checked, I'm not a billionaire. I guess that means I don't own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place.**

**Holy crap, my dears! The amount of reviews I got for last chapter was, in a word, AMAZING! 46. Holy shit. That is… WOW. That's incredible. Record breaking for me. I LOVE YOU! Do it again? ;)

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**

"Alex, how many balloons did you get?" Connie asked as Alex brought in yet another set of three balloons tied together. This would make the fourth set of blue ones, five pink sets already scattered around the apartment, tied to the back of chairs, taped to the windowsill, or just bumping gently against the ceiling.

"I just have one more set of blues," Alex said, handing the one she was holding to Mrs. Torres and setting the box that was under her arm on the table.

The Torres apartment was decorated with pink and blue streamers and the many balloons Alex had carried inside. It was decorated for a baby shower.

About two weeks after the ultra sound that sent Alex running away, then running back, Alex had decided her first duty as a parent was to throw Mitchie a baby shower. So, she once again joined forces with Caitlyn and they started planning.

This time, Mitchie's mother was actually able to attend. Alex had even invited her own mother, but Theresa was running late.

"My mom's bringing the cake," Alex told Connie, who just let the balloons go and float to the ceiling.

"You got a cake for the baby shower?" Connie asked with a raised eyebrow.

Alex shrugged. "I don't know what people eat at these things."

"You don't even know what people do at these things," Mitchie said from the couch. At nearly eight months pregnant, Mitchie's stomach was larger than ever. She leaned back into the cushions and placed her hands atop her belly, rubbing gently in an attempt to calm the baby. He or she was _always_ moving now. "Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help?"

"No!" Alex said quickly, shaking her head. "This is for you, and you're not going to move a muscle in an attempt to help set up. Now you just keep your cute, little butt on that couch, missy!"

Mitchie sighed and rolled her eyes, but remained seated.

Alex watched Mitchie for a few moments to make sure she followed orders, then turned to Mrs. Torres again. "I'm going help Caitlyn with the rest of the stuff."

"How much more is there?" Theresa asked incredulously as Alex started to walk out the door. The apartment was already cramped and packed as it was. With more decorations, and not to mention the guests, she didn't know if they'd be able to breathe.

"Just a little bit!" Alex assured over her shoulder as she walked away.

Deciding she was feeling lazy, she went down the hall to the elevators and pressed the _down_ button. She waited, and when the doors open, Caitlyn was standing there with bags in both of her free hands. In her mouth was one of the noise makers Alex had bought, just for the hell of it.

Caitlyn blew, the horn making a _honk_ sound and the tail of it hitting Alex's nose. Alex jerked her head back and grabbed the noise maker out of Caitlyn's mouth.

"I hate you," Caitlyn said, a little out of breath from carrying such heavy bags. "And your mom is downstairs."

"Thanks," Alex said before putting the obnoxious party favor back in Caitlyn's mouth and standing back to let the curly haired girl off the elevator. As she passed, Caitlyn lifted her foot and hacky-sack kicked Alex in the butt before making her way down the hall to the Torres apartment. Alex chuckled and got in the lift, pressing the correct floor.

When Alex got to the lobby, she saw her mom squinting to read the names listed for the apartment numbers.

"Mom?" Alex asked, getting her mother's attention.

"Oh, hi, honey." Theresa greeted her daughter with a kiss on the cheek when she approached. "Thank goodness you're here. I was trying to find the apartment, but whoever wrote those names writes worse than a toddler." She nodded her heads towards the list.

Alex just smiled and shook her head before going over to the corner where the delivery man had left Alex's order. She grabbed the last set of balloons from the air and a neat, slender, gift wrapped package from a chair.

"To the third floor," she told her mother, who's smile instantly fell. "There's an elevator," Alex clarified. She saw her mother breathe a sigh of relief and had to smirk a little. And she always thought she got her laziness from her father.

**

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**

When the mother and daughter duo got to the Torres apartment, Alex made sure to hide the gift in the cabinet before Mitchie even looked in their general direction.

"Hi, Mitchie," Theresa called and waved and she placed the cake on the counter. "Caitlyn, right?"

"Right. Hi, Mrs. Russo," Caitlyn said with a smile from the couch, where she was seated beside Mitchie.

Alex went over to the two girls and sat on the other side of Mitchie. "Our moms are meeting for the first time," Alex whispered, leaning in close so her mother wouldn't overhear.

"Is that a big deal or something?" Caitlyn interjected, whispering also.

"I'm not sure," Alex said softly. "My parents never met any of my boyfriends' parents before." She looked at Mitchie, who only shrugged.

"Never had a boyfriend." She frowned a little. "Or a girlfriend either, for that matter. So this is all unchartered territory for me."

Before any more words could be exchanged between the girls, Connie returned from the hall closet with a folding chair. She stopped immediately when she saw another adult in the apartment.

"You must be Alex's mom," Connie said with a bright smile, propping the chair against the wall and walking forward, hand extended.

Mrs. Russo nodded. "I'm Theresa, it's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too."

Mitchie stared, slack-jawed at the two women standing in her kitchen. She was shocked, to say the least. How had she not seen this before?

"Oh my gosh," she said quietly, still staring.

"What?" Alex followed Mitchie's gaze to their mothers.

"They look exactly alike!" Mitchie said in a stunned whisper.

Alex crinkled her nose and scrunched up her eyes, trying to see what Mitchie saw. "Do they?"

"Yes!"

"I don't know, Mitchie," Caitlyn said doubtfully. "I don't see it."

"Me either," Alex agreed.

"How can you not see it?" Mitchie gestured with her hand to her and Alex's mothers, who were now involved in a conversation about cooking or something like that.

"I just don't think they look alike," Alex said with a shrug.

"But…"

"I'm with Alex," Caitlyn agreed, turning her attention back to her text from Gabe.

"But…they do," Mitchie said meekly, pouting.

Alex smiled sympathetically and grabbed Mitchie's hand, squeezing it slightly. "Sure they do, love."

The sound of someone nearly dying in the doorway caused everyone in the Torres apartment to turn and see a red-faced Harper clutching the doorframe and gasping for breath. Alex instantly jumped up and ran to her best friend's side.

"Harper, what's wrong?"

"Running…late…ran…here…got…lost…_STAIRS_!" Harper gasped in between each word and nearly fell forward, grabbing a fistful of Alex's shirt with the last word. She breathed heavily, letting Alex support her weight.

The raven haired girl simply shook her head. "One, you could have called to say you'd be late. Two, there are more ways of transportation that foot. For example, taxis, the bus, or subway. And you have a license! Three, you could have called me to get more directions. And four, there's an elevator!"

Harper froze and set Alex with a hard look. "There's….an…_ELEVATOR?"_

Knowing how dramatic Harper could be, Alex quickly backed away from her friend and put on a cheery smile. "Okay! Harper's here! Now the party can really start!"

"It's a shower, Alex, not a party," her mother corrected her.

She gave Theresa a blank stare. "Can we still have cake?"

"What is it with you and cake?" Caitlyn asked.

"I like cake!" Alex said with a smile, walking over to the couch and standing in front of Mitchie. She held her hands out, which Mitchie took. Alex planted her feet on the ground and leaned back, pulling Mitchie from the couch.

Caitlyn got up as well and walked to the kitchen, where the mothers were helping each other slice the cake and put the pieces on plates. She'd never been to a baby shower, but she didn't think there was usually cake. And if there was, she was almost certain it wasn't served right away.

"Harper, what the heck are you wearing?" Caitlyn raised an eyebrow at the redhead, who was dressed in what looked like a dress made from shower curtains with ducks on them.

"It's my baby shower outfit," Harper said with a smile. She loved talking about her designs. "Get it?"

Caitlyn said nothing, just walked away while shaking her head. Over the past few weeks she and Harper had been hanging out at school, and she'd come to learn that Harper Finkle always dressed in crazy outfits. Hell, she remembered thinking Harper was a patient who had escaped from a psyche ward the first time she saw her. And then she met her. Yes, she was crazy and she did dress like a freak, but she was a sweet girl. But Caitlyn kept forgetting that she needed to stop asking Harper about her outfits because, frankly, she really didn't want to know.

**

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Hours later, after the shower was over, Mitchie and Alex sat on the floor of Mitchie's room. Her door was open, her parents in the living room.

"Awe! Look how adorable you were!" Alex said, pointing to a picture of Mitchie and her father, poised and smiling with Mitchie seated on a pink tricycle and her father behind her.

For the past fifteen minutes or so, they'd been looking through Mitchie's baby pictures. One album was resting on Alex's lap while Mitchie looked over her shoulder at the familiar pictures.

"I remember that trike," Mitchie said with a smile. She didn't remember the day exactly, but she sure remembered that little, pink tricycle. "I cried when I outgrew it."

"Justin cried when he couldn't use his little red one anymore," Alex said with a mischievous gleam in her eye.

Mitchie, who was too busy looking at the photo, and not her girlfriend, did not catch this. "Did he outgrow it too?"

"No. I pushed him off it and took it from him," Alex said nonchalantly, like it was no big deal.

Mitchie's eyes widened as she looked at Alex. "You stole his tricycle from him?"

"What?" Alex asked when she saw the look Mitchie was giving her. "His was better, I wanted it, so I took it."

"How was it better?"

"It was dark red and had a loud, obnoxious horn. Mine was hot pink, had stupid streamers, and a weak, little bell. I tried to get rid of it by throwing it in the street when cars passed, but my dad always got to it before it could be destroyed." Alex frowned. "You know, for a lazy man, he sure could move back then. But I think that's because he didn't want to have to pay for a new one."

Mitchie shook her head a little, having to remind herself that the three-year-old Alex was not the same Alex she knew (thank God). "So, what, did Justin just not have a tricycle anymore after that?"

"No." Alex flipped a page in the album to reveal another set of pictures. "He used mine."

"He used your girly trike?" Mitchie asked, trying to suppress a giggle for Justin's sake. It really was horrible of Alex to do that, and she didn't want to laugh, but the image was just too funny.

"He did," Alex said with a grin. "Since we're only about a year and a half apart, we would play outside together. When we'd ride, I'd always come up behind him and ram him in the back. Then I'd honk at him with the horn. All of the other kids would point and laugh. He'd run inside crying after only ten minutes." Alex's smile faded and was replaced by a sad frown. "I was such a bitch back then. Still am sometimes…"

Mitchie sensed the shift in Alex's mood and placed her hand on her girlfriend's forearm, rubbing gently. "But you're getting better." She offered a gentle smile.

"Thanks." Alex returned as much of a smile as she could before turning back to the pictures, her eyes landing on one of Mitchie in a red and green dress in front of a Christmas tree. She looked to be around four-years-old in the photo.

"I'm going to have to get one of these for my baby," Mitchie said, running a finger over the edge of the album.

"Oh!" Alex said, putting the album on Mitchie's lap and jumping to her feet. "I'll be right back."

And before Mitchie could question her, Alex walked quickly from the room. She crossed the living room, smiling and waving at Mr. and Mrs. Torres, and grabbed the gift from under the counter, where she'd stashed it earlier. She'd wanted to give this to Mitchie when they were alone, just the two of them. It was a personal gift, and it had meaning. She didn't want anyone looking in on them when she handed over the gift she'd spent hours thinking about and coming up with.

Upon reentering Mitchie's room, she placed the gift in Mitchie's lap and sat beside her. "Happy pregnancy," she said with a smirk.

Mitchie just rolled her eyes and smiled. "You're so clever." She looked down at the present in her lap. "There's no way you wrapped this," she said, holding it up.

"You know, it hurts to know how little faith you have in me," Alex joked. "But no, I didn't. I told Justin if he wrapped it I'd tell you that it was from both of us."

"I don't think you were supposed to tell me that first part." Mitchie giggled.

"Oh well. Just open it."

Mitchie smirked and pulled at the bow, untying it. Then she, very slowly, she started to take off the paper. She could tell Alex was holding her breath, waiting, and she smiled because she knew she was torturing the other girl. Finally, though, she was done with her teasing and finished opening the present.

In her lap was a book which read _Baby's First Year_ on the front. Mitchie looked up at Alex, her features soft.

"A baby book?" she asked quietly.

Alex nodded, reaching over and opening the cover to the first page. Attached were copies from Mitchie's ultrasounds, the dates written under them in Alex's untidy scrawl.

"How'd you get these?" Mitchie asked.

"I may or may not have snuck into your room again…"

"Alex, you really need to stop stealing my things," Mitchie said. "Like, that's not a good habit to have." She was smiling to show she wasn't meaning to be severe, but she really did mean it.

"I didn't steal anything!" Alex protested. "I borrowed the originals to make copies, then put them back before you even noticed they were gone. That's not stealing!"

"Whatever you say, darling." Mitchie smiled and patted Alex's knee before looking at the book again.

From Harper she'd received a gift certificate to a local baby clothes boutique. From Caitlyn she received a gift card to have pictures taken of the baby after he or she was born. From Mrs. Russo she'd gotten an I-O-U card and an explanation that she'd get the baby a real gift when the baby was born and they knew the sex. And from her own mother, she had gotten a car seat. And Theresa had assured her that she and her father would be car shopping during the next month for a decent but cheap car for Mitchie so she could bring the baby back and forth wherever it needed to go without having to borrow one of their cars. All Mitchie would have to do is get her license. She'd taken the classes and passed the written part for her permit, she'd just never bothered to get an actual license. But once she got it, she was good to go.

All of the gifts were wonderful and really sweet, but none were as special to her as the book from Alex. Sure, she could buy clothes, it would be nice to get pictures of the baby taken, she needed a car seat, and whatever Mrs. Russo got for her was most likely going to be very nice… But they just didn't have Alex's special touch and charm attached.

Mitchie knew how selfish Alex had been her entire life. So for her to put thought into anything that wasn't for her was a milestone. It wasn't just today's gift that had her feeling like Alex had surpassed everyone. It was everything she'd ever done. Sure, her mom had been there her whole life and she knew Connie loved her very much, but that was a different kind of love. Her mom kind of had to love her. Alex didn't have to. Alex was there by choice, and that made everything she did for Mitchie all the more significant. The simple things, for Mitchie, were the sweetest things.

"Thank you, Alex. I really love it," she said, closing the book again and running a hand over the cover.

"You're welcome," Alex said, smiling at her girlfriend lovingly.

Mitchie leaned over, placing a sweet kiss on Alex's cheek. Then she rested her head on Alex's shoulder and reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers. She wasn't sure if what she'd had today could be considered a baby shower (after all, all they did was eat cake, open gifts, and talk), but whatever it was, she'd loved it. Now, all she had to look forward to was one more hurdle in this pregnancy, and that was when it ended.

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"This is so weird," Alex commented as she took a seat behind Mitchie.

"Just do it. The book said to," Mitchie said, pointing to the picture in the book which they'd propped up so they could look at it while they worked on the exercise.

"But I'm not going to be sitting behind you in the delivery room," Alex said; then her face became fearful. "Do you even want me in the delivery room?"

"Of course I do, Alex." Mitchie turned her face slightly so she could look back at her girlfriend. "I can't imagine doing this without you."

"Okay," Alex said quietly with a relieved smile.

"Now, open your legs."

"My pleasure," Alex said in a low voice, wiggling her eyebrows as she spread her legs, Mitchie sitting in between them with her back towards Alex.

"Shut up," Mitchie said with a giggle. "We're supposed to be practicing breathing exercises." It was too late for Mitchie to sign up for a class, like most mothers did, so she was having to go through the exercises and learn from one of the books Alex had purchased for her.

"I know something that takes exercise and a lot of breathing," Alex muttered, nuzzling her nose into the back of Mitchie's neck as she ran her hands slowly down Mitchie's thighs.

Mitchie let her eyelids flutter closed momentarily and leaned her head forward, giving Alex more access as she felt warm lips come in contact with her skin. But when she remembered her parents were sitting right there in the living room and her bedroom door was open, her eyes flashed open and she quickly grabbed her girlfriend's wandering hands.

"Would you behave?" she scolded in a whisper. "My parents are literally in the very next room. Your hands are supposed to be here." She placed Alex's hands on her stomach. "Not on my thighs."

"Sorry," Alex said with a chuckle. "Couldn't help myself."

"Just keep your hands there while I read what we're supposed to do," Mitchie instructed, grabbing the book and flipping to the next page.

Alex was quiet for a moment. "Did you know that fifty-eight percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage within the first two weeks, before the mother even knows she's pregnant? And then eleven percent succumb after that."

Mitchie placed the book in her lap and turned to look at her girlfriend. "Where did you hear that?"

"It was in one of the books I got." Alex nodded to the pile on Mitchie's desk. "Also, first pregnancies are very commonly miscarried. And miscarriage is most common with teenagers and women over forty years of age."

"I didn't know that either," Mitchie said quietly, her mind reeling.

"Kind of makes you wonder, doesn't it?" Alex asked softly. "With all of the pregnancies that get miscarried, why are there so many pregnant teens? Why do so many girls get pregnant from their first time having sex and carry the baby to full term if the odds are so against them? And why, of all people, was it you?"

"I honestly have no idea, Alex," was all Mitchie could come up with.

Both girls sat there silently, Mitchie pretending to read how to do the exercise and Alex sitting behind her with her hands on Mitchie's stomach. Neither of them could get the question off her mind.

_Why Mitchie_?

Was it the universe's way of trying to teach her a lesson? Was this child destined to do something great? Or did it just happen by chance? Maybe that was it. Maybe sometimes shit just happened for no particular reason and it was up to them to figure out how to deal with it.

Maybe, just maybe… There was no reason. Life just was. And that's all there was to it.

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_**IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ**_**: If you follow me on twitter, you know I haven't been in the best of moods lately. Here's what's going on: I suffer from anxiety and depression, which has gotten a lot worse recently. I've been having panic attacks very frequently. It's become a huge problem. And I am just not happy like I used to be. The fact that I just had a family member diagnosed with cancer a year after my grandfather died of the same illness does not help any. I've gone to the doctor, and I've gotten a prescription for medicine to take to help me deal with things better. Hopefully, it will work and I can get my life back on track. Because honestly, I've been losing my mind. It's scary. I've been terrifying myself. So if this chapter seemed a little off, it's because I was off. And my schoolwork is terrible. My grades are shit. I need to get my act together. But I will try my best to update in a timely manner because writing is a stress relief for me and makes me feel great, but I can only write if I'm in a good mood to start with. So, thanks for all the wishes and the support. It means the world to me. I will try to update as soon as possible. I love you all. Thanks for the support, once again.**

**Twitter: xxMusicxSpazzxx**

**Wanna know what will make me smile? You writing a review :) Anonymous are enabled!**


	35. Did You Just Pee On My Shoe?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place or Camp Rock.**

**Your reviews are amazing. Thank you all so much for the support. I nearly cried reading some of the beautiful words you guys wrote to me. I couldn't ask for better readers. You're phenomenal! **

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Alex swung her legs back and forth under the table in the Torres kitchen, careful not to kick either her brother or her girlfriend. As she chewed on the eraser of her pencil, she concentrated on the math question in front of her. After some deep concentration, she looked up at Justin with an unsure look on her face.

"Is it fifty?" she asked uncertainly.

"Yes!" Justin exclaimed, a proud and excited smile on his face. "The length of the missing side is fifty meters!" He was amazed. Alex hadn't gotten a single question wrong all day.

"Good job," Mitchie said, rubbing Alex's arm slightly. She'd finished her math a little ahead of Alex and was now watching anxiously as her girlfriend completed her work. Words could not explain how proud she was of Alex. Back in October, Alex couldn't even simplify a fraction without help. But now, nearing the end of March, she was grasping trigonometry. It was amazing!

Alex smiled as she wrote down her answer, her arm still tingling from where Mitchie had touched her. Even after all the months they'd been together, she was still greatly affected by even the slightest touch.

"Well, that was the last one," Alex said with a huge grin as she put her pencil down. "I say we go out for ice cream to celebrate!"

"Alex, you still have your history chapter to read and answer questions for," Justin said, causing his sister's smile to drop.

"Can't I just do that at home, Justin?" Alex whined. "It's so pretty outside!" She gestured to the window. "It's one of the first days it isn't snowing, raining, freezing, or overcast in _months_. I just want to go out, get some ice cream, and eat it on a park bench with my girlfriend and favorite brother."

Mitchie smirked to herself as she watched Justin's face turn pink and his lips curl into a smile, playing right into Alex's hands.

"I'm really your favorite brother?" he asked, scuffing the toe of his shoe against the floor. Alex only raised her eyebrows and smiled at her brother. "Okay," Justin caved. "But we can't be too long. You guys have to go to work as soon as we're done."

"Fair enough," Alex said in a chipper tone as she closed her math notebook.

"Just let me go to the bathroom first," Mitchie said, putting her hands on the table and pushing herself up.

"That's going to be the tenth time since lunch!" Alex exclaimed. "You're peeing more than usual. And since I've met you, you've always been a frequent pee-er."

Mitchie fixed Alex with a playful glare. "You see what it's like to have a fetus pressing on your bladder, and then we'll talk." She finished with sticking her tongue out at her girlfriend as she waddled out of the kitchen, through the living room, and to the hallway.

"I don't see how she puts up with you." Justin chuckled as he gathered his papers and made a neat stack with them.

Alex gave her brother a blank stare. "Max is my favorite now," she said bluntly.

Justin hit his hand atop the table and stomped his foot. "Awe, come on!" He pouted at her and gave her his best pleading look.

Alex giggled as she put her last book in her bag and zipped it. "Dude, come on. Like I'd pick Max over you." Justin breathed a relieved sigh and blushed again. "I mean, Max can't give me A's." Alex cracked a grin.

"I don't give those to you! You earn them!"

"He's right, Alex," Mitchie said, reentering the room, hands on her stomach as she walked.

"I don't want to get into a sentimental conversation about how I've come so far right now," Alex said quickly, standing from her chair. She slid her wand from her boot and gave it a twirl. "Now that my homework is complete and done, send this bag home so I can have some fun." She pointed it at the bag as a blue ball of light left its tip and went straight to the bag, which disappeared an instant later.

"You could have just carried it," Justin said, commenting on his sister's laziness. "But it's nice to see that you're getting better at making up spells on the spot."

"Thank you, kind sir," Alex said in a fake British accent. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to use the bathroom as well before we leave." And with a bow, Alex exited into the hallway.

Justin smirked and shook his head, taking his light jacket from the back of the chair and shrugging it on. "Do you want a jacket, Mitchie?" he asked when he caught her eyeing his garment. "I could get it for you."

"Thanks, Justin," she said with a smile. "If you could just go in my closet, it's hanging. It's the blue sweater. I'd really appreciate it."

"Not a problem, Mitchie." He gave her shoulder a gentle pat before crossing the living room and going to the hallway, going straight to Mitchie's room. He'd only been in the room once before, but he remembered where the closet was.

He nervously opened the door, feeling a tad uncomfortable to be going through a girl's clothing. Scanning the clothing items hanging, he finally spotted a blue sweater. He reached for it and tried to take it from its hanger, but accidentally made a shirt fall. Cursing slightly under his breath, he put the shirt back on the hanger and took the sweater from the closet, closing the door before he could make anything else fall.

"Is this the one you were talking about?" he asked as he walked back into the living room, holding up the garment. He stopped with a concerned look on his face when he saw how pale Mitchie was. "Are you okay?"

Mitchie nodded slowly, though she looked anything but okay. "I just feel kind of funny. I'm sure I just need some fresh air, though."

Justin shrugged, seeing this as a logical answer. He went behind Mitchie and held the sweater open for her, allowing her to slip her arms inside. Just as Justin let the sweater drop on to Mitchie's shoulders, he heard a faint splashing sound and moments later, felt a cold wetness seeping through the material of his sneaker. He looked down to see a puddle of liquid on the floor, and he was practically standing in it.

"Did you just pee on my shoe?" Justin asked, looking down at his feet with slight disgust.

"No," Mitchie said softly, staring wide eyed at the liquid that had just fallen from the bottom of her cute maternity dress.

Alex chose that moment to return to the living room, happy and whistling, ready to go to the park for some ice cream. She stopped whistling, however, when she caught sight of her brother and girlfriend looking at a puddle underneath their feet.

"What happened?" she asked with a frown.

"I don't think we can go out for ice cream, Alex," Mitchie said quietly, her voice shaking.

"Why not?" Alex asked, frowning deeper.

"Because I think my water just broke." Mitchie locked eyes with Alex, trying to maintain a sense of calm, but losing it as soon as she saw that panic on Alex's face.

"But… It's only March… March… March what?"

"Twenty-ninth," Mitchie said.

"Yeah, that!" Alex said loudly, shaking her head very quickly. "You can't be going into labor! You're not due until April twenty-fifth!"

"I don't think the baby cares," Mitchie said, right before a terrible cramping sensation shot through her back, quickly rippling around to her stomach. "_Fuck_!" she screamed in surprise and pain, not sure whether to grab her back or stomach as the pain continued.

Alex snapped out of her stupor and rushed to Mitchie's side, taking her girlfriend's hand in her own. "Justin, go get the car and bring it around front. I think Mitchie's having her first contraction." Mitchie's grip on her hand tightened, somewhat crushing Alex's fingers. "_Ow!_... Okay, I _know_ she's having a contraction," she said through clenched teeth.

"But aren't we supposed to wait until the contractions are a certain space apart?" Justin asked frantically, flailing his hands a bit nervously. "That's what they do one TV, anyway."

"This isn't TV, Justin!" Alex said sharply. "And I don't care if we are supposed to wait. By the time we get to the hospital in the New York Traffic, we'll be lucky to get there before she has the baby in the car!"

"Right!" Justin exclaimed and turned, going straight to the door, opening it, and running out.

Alex sighed, let go of Mitchie's hand, and went over to Justin's bag. She placed her hands in one of the front pockets and pulled out his keys. When he ran back into the room, she threw them to him. He fumbled, but caught them, and ran out the door again.

Alex shook her head before looking at Mitchie again. "You have a bag packed, right?"

"Hall closet," Mitchie said, trying to get her breathing back to normal after her first contraction.

"Do your breathing like the book taught you!" Alex called over her shoulder as she went into the hall, straight to the door at the far end.

"We never actually read the book, remember?" Mitchie called after her, scared to make any sudden movements for fear of causing herself pain.

Alex grabbed the blue duffel bag from the middle shelf and closed the closet door. "Oh yeah!" She returned to the living room, bag in hand. "Okay, all set?"

"Why are you so calm?" Mitchie asked, rubbing her stomach gently in hopes of soothing it so that her next contraction wouldn't be so bad.

"Things take longer to hit me, remember?" Alex said, shouldering the bag and extending her hand. "Come on, let's go meet Justin downstairs. We've got a baby to bring into this world."

"_We_?" Mitchie raised an eyebrow but took Alex's hand, holding on for dear life. "You're doing nothing!"

"I'm cheering you on."

"But that is nothing compared to what I'll be doing!" Mitchie said, her breathing hitching. "I have to push this massive thing out of a very small hole! Ripping and tearing will happen. And even though I'm getting the epidural, I've been looking this up online. It hurts… A whole fucking lot!"

Alex reached a hand up to cup her girlfriend's cheek. "Mitchie…"

"I can't do it, Alex…" Mitchie shook her head. "I can't. I'm not ready. It's not supposed to be coming yet. I need more time… I… I don't want to do this anymore. I want to take it back, all of it. That night, the sex. I don't want to be a parent. I want to be a kid. _I can't do this!_" She was now frantic with tears in her eyes. She was also shaking. Fear was settling in, reality once again crushing her.

"But if you take it all back, then you don't get me in the end," Alex said gently.

Mitchie pouted and blinked rapidly as a few tears fell. "But I want you."

"Then things have to stay the same." Alex placed the duffle bag on the floor and looked Mitchie dead in the eye. "Look, Mitch… You can do this. It's nature. Sure, it's gonna hurt, but think about the outcome. We're gonna have a little baby to love, hold, and tell about the world. You may not be completely ready, but you've got your parents, me, and Caitlyn to help you out. We'll figure this out. I promise that everything's going to be okay."

To give her girlfriend reassurance, Alex wrapped her arms around Mitchie, Mitchie's going to Alex's neck instantly− the way they always hugged. Mitchie sniffled as she calmed a little, but the fears were still there.

"I'm scared," she admitted.

Alex pulled out of the hug and gave Mitchie a gentle smile. "Don't be. I'll be with you every step of the way."

Mitchie took a deep breath and tried to muster up some courage. "Let's go, I guess. I don't want to have a baby in the car."

"I was born in a cab," Alex commented, picking up the duffel bag again. "And then fifteen years later I accidentally brought the same cab to life with magic."

Mitchie opened her mouth to say something but decided not to, shaking her head instead. "Ya know, I really don't want to know right now."

"Oh come on, it's a fun story!" Alex said, closing the apartment door behind her.

* * *

Justin's car inched forward in traffic. His knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel so tightly. He was hunched forward in the driver's seat, while Alex and Mitchie were in the back.

"Yes, Mrs. Torres, finally!" Alex said into her cell phone. She'd been trying to get a hold of Mitchie's mom for nearly ten minutes, but some snooty French guy put her on hold. "We're on the way to the hospital. Mitchie's having the baby." She paused while listening to Mrs. Torres. "Yes, I know it's a month early, but I don't think the kid cares…" Pause. "Your mom wants to know how you're doing, Mitchie."

Mitchie didn't answer, just let out a loud scream as another contraction rippled through her stomach. She clutched Alex's hand tightly (though Alex's hand was now numb to all sensation so it didn't hurt) and screamed again.

"Ahh!" went Mitchie.

"Ahh!" screamed Justin in return, freaking out over Mitchie having a contraction.

"Ahh!" Mitchie.

"Ahh!" Justin.

"_Ahh_!" Mitchie.

"_Ahh_!" Justin.

"Justin, stop it! I'm on the phone!" Alex yelled at her brother crossly as her girlfriend continued to grunt beside her. She put the phone back to her ear. "She's experiencing some slight discomfort right now."

"_Slight_?" Mitchie hissed through clenched teeth.

"You're going to meet us at the hospital? Okay, see you there." She hung up. "She's calling your dad and they're going to meet us at the hospital," she told Mitchie.

"Great," Mitchie said, breathing out through her nose as her contraction finally ended. "How long did that one last?" she asked Alex breathlessly.

"What one?" Alex stared at her blankly.

"The contraction!"

"Oh." Alex shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't time it."

"Why not?" Mitchie exclaimed.

"Was I supposed to?"

"Yes!"

"No one told me that."

"I'm gonna hit you!" Mitchie said in exasperation.

"No you're not because I've got your hands!" Alex said, grabbing Mitchie's hand that she wasn't holding so that she couldn't be hit with either. "Justin, put on some music to calm her!"

Justin reached over quickly and switched on the radio.

"_You're the voice I hear inside my head−"_

"Turn it off!" Mitchie exclaimed upon hearing the lyrics to the Connect 3 song Shane had written for her during their summer at Camp Rock. That was the _last_ thing she needed to hear at that moment. She hadn't even known he'd released that song. Then again, she hadn't expected him to. It was about _her_, and he clearly didn't give a shit about her. She felt more tears sting at her eyes and knew that if she wasn't in labor, she'd probably be nauseous. Her heart felt heavy and her face twisted into a grimace.

When she looked back to her girlfriend, she saw that she was getting a blank expression from the other girl.

Mitchie cleared her throat. "I don't like that song… It reminds me of someone I don't like."

Alex shrugged, not pushing the matter. "I don't like it either. It's Connect 3. They suck."

"Yes," Mitchie muttered, gazing out the window. "Yes, they do."

* * *

Two hours later found Mitchie in a hospital bed, gripping Alex's hand in one hand and her mother's hand in the other. Her father stood in the corner of the room, squirming and wincing as he watched his daughter convulse during yet another contraction.

"Breathe, Mitchie, breathe!" Connie instructed, cheering like a coach would a player.

"I don't know how to do the fucking breathing, Mom! I told you this already!" Mitchie spat back at her, ending with a final scream as she let herself fall back onto the bed as the pain subsided.

"They're coming at almost two minutes apart now," Alex said, her eyes on the clock on the wall.

"Oh, now you decide to time them!" Mitchie snapped.

"Why are you being so mean to me?" Alex said, genuinely hurt. She'd heard that mothers in labor could be harsh, but she didn't think Mitchie was capable of such cruelty.

"Don't take it personally, Alex," Connie said, flexing her sore hand. "She's never even said 'damn' in front of me, and she just directed the F word at me."

Alex cast her eyes to the ground, not reassured. "I think I'm gonna go take a walk. Go get Mitchie some ice chips or something."

"I'll go!" Steve said, eager to get the hell out of there.

Before Alex could protest, Steve was up and out the door. Alex grumbled incoherently under her breath. Mitchie's father had stolen her escape.

"Alex, please don't go," Mitchie said gently, reaching for Alex's swollen hand. "Stay. I need you here."

Alex looked down at Mitchie, at those big brown eyes which she loved so much. She was smiling at her so sweetly. No one would ever guess the venom that could come from those lips the moment a contraction started. But Alex also knew the sweet nothings those lips could whisper and knew that the venom wasn't really Mitchie talking. It was the pain. She'd promised to be with Mitchie every step of the way and damn it, she was going to keep that promise.

"I'm not going anywhere," she said quietly.

Mitchie smiled right before her face twisted painfully and she groaned loudly as another wave of immense pain went through her stomach. She wrapped both of her hands around Alex's and squeezed. She kept her eyes locked with the raven haired girl standing above her, grinding her teeth together in determination not to say anything mean.

After what seemed like forever, the contraction finally stopped. The machine measuring Mitchie's heart rate began to beep a little slower and Mitchie fell back onto the pillows. Alex took the wet towel the nurse had left in the room from the railing of the bed and used it to wipe some of the sweat from Mitchie's forehead.

Mitchie was so glad Alex had helped her to tie her hair back into a pony tail before she began sweating too badly. She could only imagine how annoyed she'd be if her hair was sticking to her neck.

"How much longer?" she asked her mother wearily.

"I don't know, Mitchie," her mother said, stroking her daughter's damp head. "You've only been in labor for two hours. First babies can take a while. Sometimes days."

"_Days_?" Mitchie exclaimed, near tears. "I want it over now!" She looked at her stomach. "Get out!"

"I think it's trying, Mitch," Alex said. "It did decide to come a whole four weeks early. I don't think it'll be too much longer."

"That's a relief," Steve said from the door, walking in with a cup of ice chips.

Alex walked over and took the cup from him, going over to Mitchie with it and handing her a small spoonful. Mitchie let Alex drop the cold shards into her mouth. They melted on her tongue and she swallowed.

"Yum. Appetizing," she said sarcastically. Alex only chuckled.

"Alex, can I have a word?" Steve asked, gesturing to the door. He saw Mitchie's eyes grow wide as she tried to nonchalantly grab part of Alex's shirt so she couldn't leave. "I'll only keep her for a minute," he assured his daughter gently.

Mitchie was still tense, but let go of Alex nonetheless. Alex handed off the cup of ice chips to Mrs. Torres as Steve led her out the door. Just as she was leaving, however, she heard Mitchie cry out in pain. Alex spun around quickly to dash back into the room, but Steve caught her.

"She can survive one contraction without you," he said, pushing her softly out the doorway and closing the door behind him. He felt bad for doing it, but this was important, and he didn't think _he _could handle seeing Mitchie in that much pain again. If it was hurting him, he knew it had to be hurting Alex too.

"So, what's going on?" Alex asked, darting glances over Steve's shoulder to the door, obviously anxious to get back to Mitchie.

"I just wanted to warn you," he said seriously, gaining Alex's full attention. "Mitchie hasn't exactly been sweet to you since her labor started, and it's only going to get worse as it gets closer and closer to it being time for her to push. And then when's she's pushing, she may say things that make you cry."

"I know," Alex said. "And I know she's not going to mean them. You just have to take them with a grain of salt."

"Good attitude," Steve commented. "But you'd be surprised how hard that is to do. You're lucky because you're not the reason she's here." His face darkened. "But that Shawn kid wouldn't be here anyway because if I'd gotten the chance to get my hands on him, I would have killed him by now."

Alex stared at her girlfriend's father, a bit frightened. She'd never seen him look anything but kind, but in that moment, he looked almost evil. She hated Shawn−er, Shane−too, but she didn't think her face got that scary when she thought about how much she wanted to hurt him.

"Anyway." Steve shook his head and his face returned to normal. "I also wanted to warn you about after the baby's born, after she brings it home… Those first few months can put a strain on marital relationships. I can only imagine how much harder it will be for the two of you."

"What do you mean?" Alex shifted uncomfortably on her leg, letting her weight lean more to one side.

"A married couple usually tries to stay together for the sake of the child and because getting a divorce is such a hassle. And eventually once they get settled and used to having the baby around, things go back to normal," Steve explained. "But in your case, you're not even the father. You have no ties and do not have to stay. I'm just warning you that Mitchie may be depressed after the baby is born. A lot of mothers go through depression. Connie's only lasted about a week after she had Mitchie, but it was hard. And with a baby who has such odd sleeping habits and feeding times, Mitchie could not get the amount of sleep she'd used to getting. She may be snappy and irritable with you. I don't want that to drive you away." He locked eyes with the teenage girl, hoping she was getting the point.

"Are you trying to tell me not to leave if things get rough?" Alex asked slowly.

"I'm telling you not to hurt my daughter," he said. "She's been through enough. And you've been great so far. But the real test is after the baby's born."

"Mr. Torres, you have my word that I never intend to hurt Mitchie," Alex said honestly, looking the man straight in the eyes. "I know it's going to be hard, but I'm up for it. I love her, sir. And I love the baby. I never thought I could love someone I've never even met so much, but I do. And I'm not going to bail when she needs me most."

The two stared at each other intently for a few moments before their staring contest was interrupted by someone clearing their throat.

Alex and Steve looked away from each other to see Dr. Ramirez, Mitchie's doctor, standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. A nurse stood behind him.

"Can I get through?" the doctor asked, nodding towards the door.

Steve nodded quickly, opening the door for the man, who brushed past them. Alex, Steve, and the nurse followed him inside.

"It's about time!" Mitchie said, her voice strained.

From the machine beeping and Mitchie's breathing and just the overall tone in her girlfriend's voice, Alex could tell she was having yet another contraction. How many had she had since she left the room? And how far apart were they now?

"Good to see you too, Mitchie," Dr. Ramirez said good-naturedly. Obviously he was used to this.

He wasted no time as he lifted the sheet covering the bottom half of Mitchie's body and stuck his head under. Alex glared at him, not liking it one bit. He'd done this earlier when he'd come to check on Mitchie. Alex had looked away.

Dr. Ramirez pulled on a pair of latex gloves before putting his hands under the sheet. Alex's stomach twisted unpleasantly. He was sticking his fingers in her territory. Not that she'd even gotten that far, but still.

"Oh my gosh," the doctor said in surprise, which did not please Alex at all. He pulled his head from under the sheet and looked to the young woman in the bed. "You're almost fully dilated."

"What?" Mitchie exclaimed.

"No, no, no," Connie said, shaking her head. "She was only at three centimeters last time you checked."

"I know." Dr. Ramirez nodded. "But she's a little past nine right now."

"How?" Connie's eyes widened.

"What does that mean?" Alex interjected.

"The baby has to be in a certain position in order to be born," Dr. Ramirez explained. "Mitchie is almost to ten. At ten, she pushes."

"But I haven't had the epidural yet!" Mitchie said loudly.

"Those are given around four to five centimeter dilations," the doctor said. "We thought we'd have more time. I didn't think your labor would progress so quickly−I was only in here an hour ago! I'm afraid it's too late now."

"You mean I have to deliver naturally? No! That's going to hurt! I need drugs!" Mitchie grabbed Alex by the shirt collar and pulled her down so that their faces were close. "Get me drugs," she said fiercely.

"She can't, Mitchie. No one can," Dr. Ramirez said sternly. "And everyone who isn't going to be here for the delivery needs to leave. This baby is coming out."

"Bye!" Steve said, exiting quickly into the hall.

"Steve!" Connie called after him, even though she knew it was no use. He hated hospitals to begin with. Blood, needles, and pain were not his favorite things. She knew for a fact that if she would have allowed him, he wouldn't have even been present for Mitchie's birth.

The petit blond nurse walked over with two pairs of scrubs. "You'll need to put these on if you're staying," she said, handing Alex and Connie each a pair. "You may change in the bathroom."

"You can go first," Mrs. Torres said to Alex.

The girl nodded. "I'll be right back," she told Mitchie, giving the other girl's hand a squeeze before walking to the bathroom and shutting the door behind her.

Once she was in there, away from the machines and the talking, she was finally able to breathe. She put the scrubs on the edge of the sink and placed her hands on either side of the porcelain dish. She looked at herself in the mirror, seeing the nerves on her face that she wouldn't dare let anyone out there see. She had too much pride. She couldn't let them see how shaken she really was. All this time she'd put on a brave front. But now, as she was alone with her thoughts, she let her fears overtake her.

She turned on the faucet and stuck her hands under, bending over the basin. She splashed cold water on her face several times, trying to get her bearings. Then she turned off the water again and placed her hands on the edges of the sink again, leaning all her weight on it. She was shaking.

She tried to steady herself, taking gasps of air whenever her lungs would allow her. Looking up at her dripping face in the mirror, Alex didn't see the seventeen year-old who once thought she was up for anything. All she saw was a scared little girl with water running down her cheeks.

But she was more than that, she realized. She was the other half of a parenting team. She and Mitchie were a unit, were one. And though she was terrified, she knew her worries were nothing compared to what Mitchie was going through. After all, all she had to do was sit and watch. Mitchie had to actually shove a baby out of the lower half of her body.

Alex took a deep breath and stared herself dead in the eye in the mirror. She gave herself a slight nod before grabbing the shirt of the scrubs off the counter and pulling it over her grey t-shirt. Next she slipped each of her legs into the scrub pants, pulling them up. They were a little too big for her, but that didn't matter. She took the rubber band from her wrist and used it to pull up her hair into a quick pony tail. Then she washed her hands in the sink for good measure.

"Your future's outside that door, Russo," she said quietly to herself. "Go get it."

She opened the door in a swift motion and walked back into the room, straight to Mitchie's side. She grabbed the other girl's hand and gave her a confident, calming smile.

As Connie got dressed, the doctor and nurse prepared everything for the delivery.

"As soon as your mother is ready, you're going to need to start pushing, Mitchie," Dr. Ramirez said, peeking at Mitchie over the sheet.

"Okay." She nodded quickly, trying to mentally and physically prepare herself.

Alex leaned over and gave Mitchie's temple a sweet kiss, not caring it was full of sweat. "You can do this, baby," she muttered against Mitchie's skin, giving her hand a slight squeeze.

Mitchie turned her head, her eyes meeting with Alex's. She looked into those brown eyes and saw the love and devotion, and though she was still scared, she knew Alex was right. She could do this.

"I love you," she said softly but with emotion.

"I love you too, Mitchie," Alex said before placing a gentle kiss on Mitchie's lips. When she pulled away, she looked up to see Connie returning to Mitchie's side. "Ready?" she asked the girl beneath her.

Mitchie let out an extremely tiny laugh. "No, but I don't think I have a choice." She took a breath, prepping as she took her mother's outstretched hand. "Let's do this."

"Alright, you're fully dilated," Dr. Ramirez said, removing his hand from Alex's territory and Mitchie's private area. "One the count of three, okay?" He received a nod from the girl. "One… Two… Three!"

With all of the force and energy she could muster, Mitchie pushed. She screamed out louder than ever as the worst pain she'd ever experienced washed over her body. Tears pricked at her eyes as she stopped pushing, nearly spent.

"I can't," she gasped. "I can't… Don't make me do that again."

"You have to, Mitchie," Dr. Ramirez said. "Come on, give me another."

"You can do it, Mitchie," Alex said. "Squeeze my hand until you break it if it helps."

"Just remember you offered," Mitchie told her.

Mitchie began to push again, this time crushing Alex's fingers with all her might. Though if a bone cracked, no one heard it over Mitchie's scream.

"Good," Dr. Ramirez said. "The head is coming. Keep pushing."

"_You_ keep pushing!" Mitchie yelled at him, though that made no sense.

But she pushed again anyway, though she stopped quickly after, trying to catch her breath.

"I know it hurts, sweetie, but the more you push the quicker it can be over," Connie told her.

"It's coming fast, Mitchie," Dr. Ramirez said. "I think one more big push and we can meet this baby."

"Okay," Mitchie whimpered.

She braced herself right before pushing harder than she knew she was capable. She strained and groaned, letting go of her mother's hand to push it against the mattress and prop herself up. She leaned forward and pushed with all her might, her face nearly turning purple until finally, relief…

There was a moment's silence before a sharp yet tiny cry was heard through the delivery room. Mitchie closed her eyes and leaned back on the pillows, too exhausted to even sit up any longer. Alex, on the other hand, was standing on her tippy toes, trying to get a glimpse of the baby.

"It's a boy!" Dr. Ramirez announced over the baby's cries.

"It's a boy, Mitchie!" Alex said, giving her girlfriend a gentle shake.

Mitchie's eyes opened instantly, though they were so dark with fatigue. "Let me see him," she said weakly.

Alex stared as Dr. Ramirez held the baby up a little. He was nothing like she expected. He was purple and crying, his tiny face scrunched up unpleasantly, and he was completely covered in a white coating. Where his belly button should be was a wet, shiny thing that looked too much like a white worm for Alex's liking.

Alex looked away as she saw the nurse bring out a pair of scissors, Alex knew to cut the umbilical cord. She had tears in her eyes. Purple, crying, covered in white goo, and so _very_ tiny, he was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen (besides Mitchie, that is).

When she looked back, the nurse was wrapping the baby in a blanket. Swaddled and secure, the next thing the nurse did was start walking towards the door with him.

"Wait!" Alex cried. "Doesn't Mitchie get to hold him?"

The nurse ignored her, just kept walking until she was in the hallway.

"The baby must be put in an incubator," Dr. Ramirez told her, his hands covered with blood as well as the front of his scrubs. "He was very small, being nearly a month premature. He must be put in an incubator for a certain amount of time or he could die."

Alex's heart nearly stopped.

_He could die?_

But he couldn't. He just came into the world.

Alex choked back a few tears as she turned back to Mitchie, whose eyes were barely open. Alex smoothed Mitchie's damp hair and smiled down at her to reassure her.

"It's a boy," Mitchie said weakly.

"I know, I saw him." Alex chuckled slightly, tears spilling out over her eyelids. She sniffled and brought the back of her hand up to her nose, trying to stop it from running.

"He was so small," Connie commented, taking her daughter's hand again. "But beautiful."

"When can I see him?" Mitchie asked, looking to Dr. Ramirez.

"It will be an hour or so most likely," he answered. "In the meantime, I need to sew you up. There was some tearing. You shouldn't feel it too much. You can try to get some sleep if you want."

Mitchie nodded, closing her eyes and resting her head back on the pillows.

Alex smiled down at Mitchie's relaxed face before looking to the door anxiously, wanting nothing more than the nurse to walk in with that pretty little baby boy and say that he didn't need to be in an incubator after all, that he was just fine and in no danger… That everything was okay.

"Samuel."

Alex snapped her head back at the sound of Mitchie's voice. "What was that, Mitchie?" she asked softly.

Mitchie opened her eyes long enough to lock them with Alex's. "Samuel," she said in a voice not above a whisper before her eyes drooped shut again and she slipped into blackness.

* * *

**I had this thing going on twitter (username: xxmusicxspazzxx) asking people what they thought the baby would be. One said boy, three said girl, one hoped for a boy, and one said she didn't know. Guess I fooled the majority of you ;)**

**Oh, and for anyone who thinks the birth was unrealistic or "too fast," I've heard the story of my birth. It was very similar. So, owned.**

**Update: I started taking my medicine and so far, it's working. I feel much less anxious and don't worry about stuff as much. I'm in a much better place already. I'm loving it.**

**Now wanna REALLY make me happy? REVIEW!**


	36. He Can't Die

**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place.**

**I know I haven't updated in forever and I know I suck for that. But I've been really struggling in school and trying to get used to my medicine. It's working, by the way.**

* * *

Alex wanted to be there when Mitchie woke up. But, she also desperately wanted to see the baby. Looking at Mitchie's sleeping form, she realized it could be a while before her girlfriend actually woke up. So, a quick trip to the hospital nursery would be okay. Besides, Connie would be there just in case Mitchie did wake up.

"I have to see him," she said to Connie, standing from her chair. She'd been sitting there for nearly a half hour, ever since Mitchie had passed out. She'd been worried about that at first, but the doctors had assured her that it was completely normal for mothers−especially those as tiny as Mitchie−to be exhausted after the birth. She just needed a little rest to get her strength back up, and then she would be fine.

Connie nodded at Alex, understanding. "I want to as well." Her eyes shifted to her daughter. "But it doesn't seem fair that we see him before her."

Alex bit her lip, feeling somewhat guilty. Connie had a point. But then again, Mitchie had seen him a little bit before they took him away. She didn't want to cheat Mitchie out of seeing her son first, but the temptation was just too much.

A soft knock on the door was followed by it opening and Steve poking his head inside. "Am I allowed to come in?" he asked timidly.

"By the doctors, yes," Connie told him stiffly. "By me, I'm not so sure."

Alex looked back and forth between her girlfriend's parents nervously. She had a feeling a tiny fight was about to break out. Part of her didn't want them to be too loud because she didn't want them to wake Mitchie. But the other part of her wanted them to be as loud as can be so Mitchie would wake up and then hopefully they could see the baby.

"Connie, you know I hate this stuff," Steve said pleadingly. "I couldn't stand seeing her like that."

Connie sighed and dropped her angry face. "I know you couldn't. It wasn't easy for me, either."

Alex nodded, understanding somewhat. She knew parents never liked to see their kids hurt and it nearly killed them inside, but she didn't know that specific feeling. But she did know that seeing Mitchie in agony tore her heart to shreds.

"Is there anything I can do?" Steve asked, feeling like he should do something to make up for not being there for his wife and daughter when they needed him.

"Yes, actually," Connie said, standing from her chair. "Alex and I want to go see the baby. So you can stay here in case Mitchie wakes up while we go see him."

Steve nodded. That was fair enough. He'd caught a glimpse of the baby when the nurse had carried him away to the nursery. Not long after the doctor had come out to congratulate him on his grandson, but he hadn't gone down to the nursery to see him yet. He didn't feel he had the right since he hadn't even been able to stomach the delivery.

"I thought you said you didn't want to see him before Mitchie," Alex said when she and Connie were out in the hall, on the way to the nursery. They were both still in their scrubs. The old Alex would have probably used that to her advantage and tried to cause mischief by sneaking into the restricted areas and switching clipboards so that patients would get the wrong operation by "accident." But the new Alex only cared about seeing a new, very important person in her life and getting back to the other very important in her life in a hurry.

"I didn't, but I could tell Steve wanted some time alone with Mitchie," Connie said, looking down at her shoes. "He's going to apologize to her for not being there, say how proud he is of her, and tell her that he loves her… Even if she is asleep and can't hear him. And then he's going to cry, but he's not going to want anyone to know."

Alex looked at Mrs. Torres in awe, amazed at how much she understood her spouse. The tiny smile on Connie's face told Alex that this was one of the things she loved about her husband. She only hoped that she and Mitchie could be like that many years into the future.

"Do you feel like crying?" Alex asked softly.

"I will, later," Connie said. "I'll cry for her, and I'll cry for me. For her because of how proud I am of her for taking responsibility like she has. And for me because my baby's all grown up and doesn't need me anymore."

"She still needs you, Connie," Alex told her. "She needs you now more than ever. She'll always need you."

Connie stopped and looked at Alex, a bit shell shocked. "Do you always say stuff like that?"

Confused, Alex shrugged and stopped too. "I don't know. I guess."

"Wow." Connie lifted her hand and softly grabbed Alex's jaw in between her thumb and index finger, examining the girl's beautiful face. "No wonder Mitchie loves you so much," she said quietly. "You're gorgeous, and you say all of the right things at the perfect times."

Alex grinned and blushed when her face was released. "Well, not _always_. She threatened to hit me in the car on the way over here."

"That was the labor talking," Connie said, waving off the comment. "But you were such a trouper throughout the entire thing. I'm really proud of you."

Alex blushed even deeper. "Thank you," she said as she started walking again to cover up the fact that she was extremely embarrassed.

"You've been a trouper throughout all of this, actually." Connie began walking again also. "I have to ask you… Why? Why do you put yourself through this when you don't have to? Out of all of the girls in New York City you could have, why did you choose Mitchie if she comes with so much baggage?" she asked, genuinely curious. To her, Alex's decision to be with Mitchie didn't make sense. "Why take on so much responsibility if it's not your burden to bear?"

Alex was silent for a moment, thinking up her answer. "I guess it's because I didn't choose Mitchie. I just… Fell for her. I really didn't want to, trust me." She smiled at the memory of almost crying over it that day in her room with Harper. Now that seemed so silly. "There's just something about her that I couldn't resist, and still can't. She's special. And she makes me believe I'm actually capable of accomplishing great things." Alex looked to Mrs. Torres. "Before I met Mitchie, I was careless and reckless. And I didn't care about anyone but myself. That's different now. _I'm _different now. My universe used to revolve around me and me alone. Now, it revolves around Mitchie. She's my sun, I guess you could say." She looked down at the ugly blue scrubs she was still wearing, a shy smile on her face. "And now, I have two suns. One is Mitchie, and the other is Samuel."

Connie digested all of what Alex told her, trying to grasp the fact that someone so young could have such strong feelings. Alex and Mitchie both still had so much life to live, yet it seemed as though Alex had already decided that her entire future involved Mitchie.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"For what?" Alex asked, a puzzled look on her face.

"For loving her."

"There's no need to thank me for something that comes as naturally as breathing."

Once again, Mrs. Torres was taken aback. Seriously, how did this kid come up with this stuff?

"I can't believe she named him Samuel," Connie said, changing the subject when she didn't know what to say in response to Alex's amazing statement.

"I like it," Alex said. "It's an older name, but it's kind of dying out. So many people go with crazy, new names nowadays. Or they just stick to the overused classics like Michael or Matthew. Samuel is old, but not overused. I think it's perfect. And we could always call him Sam."

"I intend to," Connie said as they finally reached the nursery window. "But I guess you have a point."

"'Course I do," Alex said slightly smugly. That was one thing that sure as hell didn't change. She still loved being right.

"Where is he?" Connie asked, looking around at the sleeping infants.

Alex scanned the room quickly before her eyes landed on a tiny, reddish-colored baby in the back of the room. He was in a clear box-looking thing with a tube attached to his nose. Now asleep, his tiny little fist was curled up close to his mouth. Even from the distance, Alex could make out a head of dark brown, nearly black, hair.

"That's him in the back," she said with a small smile.

Connie's eyes flashed to the incubator across the room. "How do you know?"

"I just do," Alex said, pressing her nose up against the glass for a better look. "And plus, they had to put him in an incubator and he's the only baby in one."

Connie rolled her eyes. "Smart ass," she said, smacking Alex on the arm lightly.

Alex only chuckled and kept staring at the baby across the room. He was so tiny, so fragile. She wondered how much he weighed and how long he was. She also wondered how long it would be before she could formally meet him. Her hands itched to pick him up and hold him. But she knew she couldn't. Not before Mitchie.

* * *

"She hasn't woken up yet?" Alex asked when she and Connie returned to Mitchie's room after staring at Samuel for over ten minutes.

Steve shook his head.

"She's exhausted, Alex," Connie told her. "She's been through a lot today. We all have." Steve nodded his agreement. "Why don't you go home and get some rest? It could be a while before Mitchie wakes up again."

"No way," Alex said, shaking her head ferociously fast. "I'm not leaving this hospital until Mitchie does."

Steve and Connie exchanged a glance, communication going between them. Yes, Alex Russo was a keeper.

"Fair enough," Connie said. "But at least go see your parents."

"My parents are here?" Alex asked, clearly surprised.

"Yes, didn't you know?" Connie asked. Alex shook her head. "When I went to get a water out of the vending machine over an hour ago, they were in the waiting room… Along with Justin, a younger boy, Caitlyn, a red-haired girl, and a boy with black hair."

"That would be my younger brother Max, my best friend Harper, and our new friend Gabe," Alex said, listing the people in accordance to Connie's description. "Wow, seems like the gang's all here. Well, I guess I should go see about them."

Alex turned to walk out the room, but stopped to look at Mitchie over her shoulder. The girl was still sleeping peacefully in the bed, her heart rate normal according to the monitor. Her hair was filthy with dry sweat and her makeup was smeared, but she was still the most beautiful human being Alex had ever laid eyes upon.

"If she wakes up, please come get me," she said, looking to Mrs. Torres.

"I will. I promise," Connie said quietly, nodding.

* * *

When Alex entered the waiting room, she was greeted by a chorus of yelling and a stampede of her family and friends swarming her, all screaming questions at her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Alex yelled, putting her hands up in defense. "Back off!"

The shouting stopped and everyone took a step or two back, staring at Alex intensely and waiting.

"Yes, she had the baby," Alex said, answering the first question. "It's a boy, and she's named him Samuel. He was really small, so he had to be taken straight to the incubator. I don't know his length or weight. And Mitchie is sleeping right now, so I don't think she's up for visitors just yet."

The group surrounding Alex let the information sink in. Smiles spread across everyone's faces, even Mr. Russo's.

"Is he in the nursery?" Theresa asked excitedly.

"Yeah, can we see him?" Caitlyn chimed in, anxious to see her godson.

"Yes, he's in the nursery, and yes, you can all come see him." Alex held up a finger as a warning. "But we need to walk there calmly and quietly and we can't make too much noise while we're looking at him because there are other sleeping babies that we don't want to wake up."

Seven pairs of heads nodded at her, showing they understood and took her warning seriously. Alex couldn't help but feel like she was talking to a bunch of kindergarteners. Well, maybe not in the case of Gabe and Caitlyn. But when it came to her parents, brothers, and best friend, _oh yes._

Alex started to lead them all down the hallway to the nursery. There was no noise but the sounds of eight pairs of feet padding across the linoleum floor.

"How'd you all even know to be here?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Justin called us," Jerry said, gesturing to his wife and Max.

"I was at your house," Harper said with a shrug.

"Harper, why were you at my house if I wasn't there?" Alex questioned.

Another shrug from the red head. "I wanted to be there."

"Harper texted me," Caitlyn jumped in, stopping the banter between Alex and Harper before it really started. "And then I called Gabe."

"Thank God for cell phones, I guess," Alex said as they entered the hall with the nursery. "Okay, everyone be quiet now," she warned as the group's steps slowed and they approached the window.

Alex smiled, her eyes immediately going to the back where Samuel was. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed, but in a good way. She loved him so much already, and she hadn't even gotten within two feet of him yet, much less held him.

"Which one is he?" Justin asked, scanning the babies all sleeping quietly in their tiny hospital beds.

"The cute one, of course," Alex said proudly.

"They're all cute, Alex. But which one is he specifically?" her father asked.

"All the way in the back." Alex pointed, putting her finger on the glass.

The entire group stood on its tippy toes to see over the other babies to the back. A collective gasp came from them all.

"He's so little!" Theresa gushed.

"Has he been in the sun?" Max asked.

"No." Alex looked at him like he was stupid, which… Everyone knew he really was.

"Well then why does he have a sunburn?" Max blinked stupidly.

"He doesn't have a sunburn!" Alex exclaimed. "He's just red!"

"Then what's wrong with him?" Max said a little worriedly, looking over to the baby again.

"Nothing! He's perfect, okay?" Alex grabbed Max by the front of the shirt and shook him a little, anxiety and frustration taking its toll on her.

"Okay, that's enough," Jerry said, grabbing his daughter's shoulders and pulling her away from his youngest son. "Alex, I think you and I need to take a walk."

Alex shook her shoulder from her father's grasp and pushed through her friends and family members, jogging down the hall. She needed to get away. She couldn't let them see her break, see her shaken. They couldn't see her tears.

When she got to the waiting room, she was relieved to find it empty. She collapsed into a chair, put her head in her hands, and cried. Hunched over, her shoulders shook as her tears moistened her palms.

"Alex?" She heard the soft voice of her father right before a gentle hand was placed on her shoulder.

She lifted her head, tears still in her eyes and mascara smudged. "What?"

"You know Max didn't mean anything by his comment," Jerry said, kneeling in front of Alex. "He's… Well, he's Max." This was the only explanation he could come up with, but it was enough.

"I know." Alex sighed and closed her eyes, causing more tears to fall, making tear tracks down her cheeks. "I'm just so scared there's something wrong with him…"

"Why?" her dad asked softly.

"Because they said he could die, Dad," Alex said, her voice catching at the end. She swallowed the lump in her throat and bit back more tears. "They took him away right after he was born because he was in danger of dying since he's so small." She looked away from her father and stared at the wall instead. "And he can't die. He just can't. It would destroy Mitchie. It would destroy _me_."

She said nothing for a little while, just tried her best to hold in her tears while she stared at the off-white hospital wall and sniffled.

"I love him so much," she said, finally releasing a sob.

As she crumpled, her father's strong arms caught her. Jerry held Alex as she went limp, curling into his body. She pressed her face into his shoulder and cried uncontrollably, her body shaking almost violently as she convulsed with sobs. She was so glad no one else was around to see this. Only she and her Daddy would know that for a brief moment, she allowed herself to be weak.

"Alex," Jerry said, pushing Alex away a little so she could look at him.

Her face was soaking wet, as was the fabric of his shirt, and she had black streaks on her cheeks. Her eyes were red and puffy and her nose was a rosy pink. She looked at him with so much fear, she reminded Jerry of the time he taught her how to ride a bike and she fell, scraping her knees.

Life had been so much simpler then. When she'd fallen, he'd run over to her, and picked up the crying six year-old in his arms. She'd looked up at him, eyes full of tears. All he had to do was clean her scrapes and give her kiss on the cheek, and everything was alright. She was as good as new.

But she wasn't that little girl anymore, he realized. She was eleven years older, and eleven years wiser. A band aid and a kiss on the cheek wasn't going to fix everything. Her life was much more complicated now.

"Look," he said quietly. "Babies are born prematurely all the time, and much sooner than only a month. Babies born up to three months premature survive and live normal, healthy lives. I'm sure whatever the doctors did was only precautionary and part of hospital procedures. Samuel is going to be fine."

Alex was silent for a little while, biting her lip. "You think so?"

"I know so," Jerry assured her.

"Alex?" Steve Torres stood in the doorway. He'd been waiting for a break in the conversation, trying not to interrupt this touching moment.

Alex quickly wiped at her eyes and cheeks, trying to clean her face a bit. "Yeah?"

"Mitchie's awake," Steve said. "She's asking for you."

Alex and her father both stood, Alex going over to where Mr. Torres held the door open. Jerry put his hands in his pockets and watched her walk away. No, this near-woman wasn't his little girl anymore.

"Alex…"

Alex turned in the doorway and looked at her father. "Yeah, Daddy?"

"I love you."

She offered a small smile. "I love you, too."

"And…" Jerry swallowed, trying to find the courage to say the next words. "I'm proud of you." And he was. He was finally over only seeing Alex's past. He'd thought she wasn't really in love with Mitchie in the past, thought she wasn't prepared to be a parent. But once he saw the way her eyes lit up when she saw the baby, saw her crying in that waiting room, and thought back to all of the times he'd seen her with Mitchie, that all changed. Alex was different, better, more grown up. And she could handle this.

Alex smiled wider, pride welling in her chest. She was smiling so wide, actually, her face hurt. She wanted to rush over and give her father a huge hug, to let him hold her as she squeezed him until her heart was content. But she knew she couldn't do that right now. It would have to wait. Because she had other responsibilities to which to attend.

"Thanks, Daddy."

And with a small wave, she turned and started making her way down the hall with Steve towards Mitchie's room.

* * *

"You told me she was awake."

Mitchie opened her eyes to the sound of Alex's voice.

"I am," she said groggily.

Alex's face brightened when she saw that her girlfriend was awake, a smile forming on her lips. She went over to Mitchie's bed and pulled up a chair to the bedside, sitting in it as she took Mitchie's hand.

"How are you feeling?" she asked softly.

"Tired." And Mitchie's voice sounded it. "But other than that, pretty okay. The nurse is about to bring him in." A peaceful smile made its way to her face.

"Do you remember what you named him right before you passed out?" Alex questioned, hoping she did and hadn't changed her mind. Alex had become attached to Samuel.

"Samuel," Mitchie said with a slight nod. "But I want to call him Sam."

"That would make sense," Alex said, chuckling slightly.

"Miss Torres?" a sweet voice said from across the room. It was the blond nurse from earlier, and she was standing in the doorway. "Are you ready to meet your baby?" she asked with a pleasant smile.

Mitchie's heart started pounding as she nodded, not trusting her voice.

The nurse backed into the room, pulling one of the beds the hospitals kept the babies in. She wheeled it right up to the side of Mitchie's bed.

Mitchie's breathing nearly stopped as she looked into the small bed, where _he_ was, swaddled in a blue blanket and fast asleep. He still had a red tint, but that was expected. Atop his head was a puny blue beanie, covering dark brown, almost black hair.

The nurse picked him up ever so gently, careful to support his head. Slowly, she handed him to Mitchie.

As soon as her baby was settled in her arms, Mitchie began to cry. She looked down at him with tears in her eyes, taking him in. He was perfect. He had a tiny, little button nose and full, little lips. His eyes were closed, but she'd read somewhere that newborns sometimes had blue eyes. If not, he was sure to have brown eyes, much like hers and Shane's. She just hoped he had hers.

She carefully reached up one of her hands and gently stroked her fingers down the side of Sam's face. He had the softest skin she'd ever felt. She, as gently as she could, removed the little hat, revealing a full head of hair. Some babies were born bald, but this wasn't one of those babies.

Amazed, she stroked his head with three fingers. His hair was so soft and fine.

From the sensation of gentle fingertips being rubbed across his scalp, little Sam stirred. He moved his arms, flexed his miniature fingers, and opened his eyes.

Mitchie gasped and looked down into a perfect mirror of her own eyes, only smaller. They were deep and dark. No question about it, he'd gotten her eyes.

She never knew it was possible to love something as much as she loved her son, only a little over an hour old. But she loved him more than life itself. Her heart was swelling so much that she felt it would burst.

"Hi," she whispered down to the infant staring up at her, calm yet clearly confused. "I'm your mom," she said, as if he would understand her. She shifted her body so that Alex was in his line of sight. "And this is Alex." Tears were forming in her eyes again and her voice started shaking. "And we love you so much, Sam."

* * *

Finally, Mitchie handed off Sam to her mother, who cried as soon as he entered her arms. Next, Steve held him, jokingly counting off ten fingers and ten toes "just to make sure." When it was Alex's turn, Mitchie's parents decided to give the girls some privacy, choosing to go to the cafeteria for some coffee.

Alex didn't even hear the door close behind them as she stared, wide eyed at the baby whose life was literally now in her hands. She was scared to make any sudden movements for fear of dropping him or making his head go at a bad angle or something like that.

After a little while, though, Sam started to fuss.

"You're too stiff," Mitchie told her. "Loosen up a little."

Alex wanted to protest or just simply give him back to Mitchie, but she knew that would be terrible. It was easier just to hand him off as soon as he so much as whimpered. She needed to learn how to do this. So, she let the tension out of her shoulders and did her best to put on a smile. As soon as she did, Sam started to calm.

"How'd you know to do that?" Alex asked, amazed.

Mitchie shrugged. "I didn't. I just felt like that's what needed to be done."

Alex stared at Mitchie for a few moments before looking down at Sam again, whose eyes had just drooped closed.

"He's asleep," Alex whispered to Mitchie.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "He's probably going to be hungry when he wakes up. And I'm going to have to feed him." A sense of fear tingled through her body.

This didn't go unnoticed by Alex. "I don't think breastfeeding hurts, Mitchie," she said.

"I'm not scared of it hurting, I'm just nervous about it in general."

"If you don't want to do it, you can always feed him from a bottle," Alex said softly, looking down at the sleeping baby again and smiling. "I'm sure he won't mind, as long as he gets food."

"Yeah…"

It was silent for a few minutes as they each just watched Sam sleep. Mitchie stroked his head gently as Alex sat on the edge of the bed, holding the baby. But there was something on Alex's mind, and she had to say it before Mitchie's parents came back.

"Did I ever tell you that by falling in love with a mortal and choosing a life with them, you automatically have to give up your wizard powers?" Alex asked softly, looking from Sam to Mitchie.

Mitchie blinked a few times. "No, you haven't told me that."

Alex nodded. "That's why my dad doesn't have powers anymore. He won his family's wizard competition, but when he met my mom, he gave up his powers for her. Now my uncle is the family wizard."

Mitchie let the information sink in. "So, what you're saying is…"

"When it comes time for the family wizard competition, whatever the outcome, it doesn't matter for me because I'm giving up my powers for you and Sam," Alex said, nodding again.

"Alex, I can't let you do that!" Mitchie said in an urgent whisper.

"And I can't imagine a life without you," Alex countered. "But I can imagine one without magic. I've been prepared to lose my powers since we started with wizard lessons. Justin's going to win without a doubt. Max is a moron and even if I study my ass off, there's no way I'll catch up to Justin. It used to bug me, but none of that matters to me anymore. Because I have something better than magic."

Mitchie stared at Alex for a few moments, swallowing. "And what's that?"

"Love," Alex answered without hesitation. "As long as I have you and Sam, I'll have all I ever need."

Mitchie's face flushed a rosy color as Alex leaned back on the bed, resting her back against the pillows with Mitchie, Sam still in her arms. Mitchie leaned over ever so slightly and kissed Alex softly on the lips before also placing a gentle kiss atop Sam's tiny head. Then she snuggled in closer to Alex and rested her head on her girlfriend's shoulder.

"I love you," she said in a tired voice, about to fall asleep again.

Alex smiled. "I love you, too, Mitchie," she said as the other girl's eyelids fluttered closed. She shook her head a bit and looked down at the snoozing newborn in her arms. "And I love you, too, Sammy."

And with that, she leaned her head back on the pillows and let her exhaustion take her over as well. When Mr. and Mrs. Torres returned, they found the small, new, and unique family fast asleep, cuddled up in each other's warm embraces.

* * *

**The next chapter… Will be the last. It's been an amazing ride, and I can't thank you guys enough. You've been amazing and thank you for sticking with me this far. But hey, don't be too sad. We still have the sequel!**

**It would make my entire life to get 600 reviews by the end of this story! So REVIEW! But please, no spam. Anonymous enabled!**


	37. Welcome Home

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place or Camp Rock. I do not own Toyota Camry's either.**

**About Sam: Yes, I always knew he was going to be a boy. From the moment I dreamt up the story, Sam was always going to be a boy. His name… No particular reason for the name. I just liked it. But I'd been planning to name him Samuel since probably I was writing chapter 3. And no, I was not on the fence about whether or not I was going to let him live or die. I'm not that cruel. I love Sam. I wouldn't kill him.**

* * *

"Watch out! Baby coming through!" Alex announced while holding the door of Mitchie's apartment building open, though the lobby was empty as usual.

"Shh," Mitchie shushed her. "You'll wake Sam."

The new mother smiled as she walked inside, her son securely buckled into his car seat all safe and snug, fast asleep from the movements of his mother's new (but used) 2007 grey Toyota Camry.

"How is he?" Alex asked quietly, bending down to check on the infant under the hood of the seat.

Being born premature (four pounds, five ounces, and twelve inches long), little Samuel James Torres was smaller than most babies. So his new parental figure had been a nervous wreck the entire car ride over even though his mother had been completely fine. Mitchie didn't get worried once as she sat in the backseat with Alex, Sam in between them, and her father drove up front with Connie, going slowly through New York traffic.

"He's fine, Alex," Mitchie told her softly. "Quit worrying."

"Alright." Alex let out a breath and adjusted the strap of Mitchie's duffle bag over her shoulder.

The door to the apartment building was kicked open and standing in the doorway was someone with two large boxes stacked in their hands, obscuring their face. When the person walked inside all the way, they put the boxes down a little and their carrier was revealed as none other than the new grandfather himself, Steve Torres.

"Thanks for helping with the boxes, Alex," he told her sarcastically, out of breath.

"Oh, you're welcome," Alex said with a bright smile, flipping the end of her hair over her shoulder.

"Now there's the girl I met way back in October," Mitchie said affectionately, reaching out and pinching Alex's cheek gently. Yes, Alex had grown as a person and was very different and Mitchie loved her dearly, but she'd fallen for the original Alex before the change took place. She was so much more in love with the new Alex, but it was nice to see the old, impish Alex shine through sometimes.

The door opened again and Connie backed into the apartment, carrying another box.

"Did Theresa really have to give us all of this stuff at once?" she asked, nodding to the matching boxes in her husband's hands. "He won't even fit half of this for at least a month since he's so small."

After finding out the baby was a boy, Mrs. Russo decided the best belated baby shower gift to give her daughter's girlfriend's son was all of Max's and Justin's old baby clothes and toys. The only problem was Sam couldn't fit any of the outfits. Connie had had to run to a baby boutique while Mitchie was still in the hospital and buy special preemie baby clothes.

"She thought she was doing something nice," Alex said, a little defensive of her mother. "But I did tell her you wouldn't be able to fit all of this stuff in your apartment. She just doesn't listen."

"Sound like anyone we know?" Mitchie asked cheekily as she began to follow her father towards the elevator.

"What is it with you and mocking me today?" Alex asked, not used to seeing the teasing side of Mitchie so many times in not even a five minute interval.

"I'm just messing with you, baby," Mitchie said before leaning over and giving Alex a gentle kiss on her shoulder, exposed because she was wearing a gray tank top.

Alex blushed and closed her mouth tight, very much thrown off by how much affection Mitchie was showing her in front of Mr. and Mrs. Torres.

As the elevator rose, a tiny whimper began to emit from the car seat hanging from Mitchie's hand. All four pairs of eyes immediately flashed to it, ready to get baby Sam whatever he may need.

"I think he's hungry," Mitchie commented, looking upon her son with his face slowly scrunching up, ready to cry.

"How do you know?" Alex asked, afraid it was a wet cry. Mitchie had been trying to get her to change his diaper while they were still in the hospital. She wasn't ready for that.

"I just do," Mitchie said with a small smile.

"Here, Alex, take the keys and unlock the door," Steve said, balancing the boxes in one hand and using the other to reach into his pocket and pull out his keys.

Alex quickly took them right as the elevator doors opened. She walked swiftly down the hall, Mitchie on her heals with Sam in tow, who was beginning to fuss a little more. She jammed the key in the lock and turned it, pushing the door open. She held it for Mitchie, who rushed past her.

"I wanted to give you a tour of your new home, Sam, but I guess we can do that after you're fed," Mitchie said as she crossed through the living room, right to her room. She entered through the open doorway and immediately set the car seat on the bed and began unbuckling the infant. "This is our room, though," she said in a soft and sweet voice as she lifted him, minding his head, from the seat.

Alex waited in the living room for Mr. and Mrs. Torres to walk in. When they did, placing the boxes in the corner of the living room, Alex handed over the keys to Steve and made a beeline for Mitchie's bedroom.

"Whoa!" Alex's hands went to her eyes at the sight before her.

Mitchie, who was wearing a powder blue button-down, now had the shirt open, Samuel's mouth attached to one of her firm, round breasts. Alex knew she breastfed him. She'd done it in the hospital. But she'd never actually seen it. She'd always looked away for that part. But that wasn't the part that shocked her. She was mostly shocked from seeing Mitchie's other breast, not covered by a nursing baby's mouth.

Alex had never seen them before and as much as she wanted to sneak peeks, she didn't want to take advantage of the situation. But, Alex's imagination could not do Mitchie's chest justice. She'd pictured Mitchie naked before, and now her fantasies would be enhanced with memories of reality.

"You don't have to cover your eyes," Mitchie said, smirking at her flustered girlfriend. "I really don't care if you look."

"No, thanks," Alex said, removing her hands from her eyes but turning her body in the opposite direction of Mitchie and Sam. "I'm just gonna stare at the wall."

Mitchie shook her head before smiling down at the nursing baby in her arms. "Mama is silly, huh, Sam?" she asked him softly. He simply started at her with curious, matching brown eyes while he suckled down his meal.

Alex smiled to herself, her heart swelling at the new name she'd recently taken on.

"But not as silly as your Mommy, Sammy," Alex said over her shoulder. So far, she'd been the only one to ever call him 'Sammy.' To everyone else, he was just Sam. It was understood that 'Sammy' was Alex's nickname for him, and no one else's.

"Hush, you," Mitchie scolded playfully. Alex just chuckled silently to herself.

"Mitchie?" came Theresa's voice from the doorway. "Your dad and I need to go to the store and pick up some more stuff for Sam. Do you think you'll be okay by yourselves for about an hour?" Her eyes flashed to Alex, who was still staring at the wall. This confused her until she saw that Mitchie was breastfeeding. Then she just wanted to laugh at the flustered seventeen year-old.

"We're gonna be fine," Mitchie said confidently.

* * *

After Sam was finished being fed and properly burped and Mitchie had buttoned up her shirt again, Mitchie decided it was time for Alex to change her first diaper.

"Are you sure about this?" Alex asked nervously as Mitchie set out the mat they'd bought to change diapers when they traveled. They weren't traveling, but Mitchie figured this would be easier than each of them crowding around the changing table.

"You're going to have to do it eventually, Mama," Mitchie told her.

Alex once again blushed at the nickname. "Okay…"

She watched as Mitchie unsnapped the bottom of little Sam's minute preemie outfit and lift it a little.

"You're lucky," Mitchie said. "I think he's just wet." She looked down at Sam and smiled. "No poopy diaper for Mama, huh, Sam? You just save those for Mommy, don't you?" she asked in a baby voice.

A smile spread across Alex's face from relief of not having to change a dirty diaper and also at how adorable Mitchie was being, all the while Sam just stared at her in a clueless manner.

"So what do I do first?" she asked.

"First you remove the old diaper." Mitchie reached behind her and grabbed the trashcan, putting it beside Alex. "Then you put it in here."

"Seems easy enough," Alex commented.

"Then you clean him off," Mitchie said, gesturing to diaper wipes beside the package of unused diapers and baby powder. "Then you give him a little powder to prevent a rash, and then a fresh diaper. And finally, snap him back up and you're good to go."

"I can do that," Alex said in a confident tone.

Mitchie raised her eyebrows expectantly. "Then do it."

Alex's eyes grew wider as she realized she had to put her money where her mouth was. Not wanting to look like an idiot in front of Mitchie, Alex slowly but surely reached out and grabbed one of the sides of Sam's diaper. She removed the straps carefully, taking a breath before she pulled the diaper back. Luckily, Mitchie was right, and he was only wet. She took the diaper off completely, balled it up, and threw it in the trashcan with a _thunk_.

Mitchie reached for a diaper quickly. "Now, be sure to cover him because boys like to−"

Before she could finish her sentence, a stream of pee shot into the air. Alex jumped back as quickly as she could, but Mitchie was not so lucky.

"_Pee_!" Mitchie squealed as she was caught in the chest first, closing her mouth just in time when it got to her face.

Alex was silent for all of two seconds before busting out into a fit of giggles. Mitchie only wiped her face with the diaper and frowned, very thankful she had her hair in a ponytail so that she didn't have to take a shower right away.

"Thanks, Sam," she said as she threw the diaper into the trash.

"Now I know why I was so nervous to change him," Alex said around a giggle. "My mom tried to get me to help when Max was a baby and he did that to me." She pointed at Mitchie's damp shirt and laughed some more.

Mitchie glared at Alex for a few moments. "Ya know, I have pee on my lips. So unless you want me to kiss you right now, shut it," she said playfully, but still threateningly.

Alex immediately ceased her laughing, pursing her lips before pulling them back into her mouth, like children do when they want to imitate elders with no teeth.

"That's what I thought," Mitchie said before looking down at her shirt. "Ugh, I'm a mess. Finish with him while I go change and wash up."

Mitchie stood and went to her closet, reaching in and quickly pulling out a shirt before dashing down the hall to the bathroom to wash her face.

"Alright, Sammy, just you and me," Alex said as she went back to the diapering. "Let's make a deal. If you don't pee on me, I'll buy you a dog for your fifth birthday. K?" She smirked down at the baby as she pulled out a baby wipe. "Good. Glad we understand each other."

* * *

As soon as Alex was finished and had snapped Sam's little outfit up, she lifted him from the mat carefully. She cradled him lovingly and smiled down at him, loving the way when he looked at her, she saw nothing but Mitchie in him. Except his hair. That was a little darker, but maybe the sun would lighten it eventually.

Alex sat on the edge of Mitchie's bed, still holding the baby in her arms.

"Let's you and me have a talk, Sammy," she said softly, looking down at the infant. "First off, no, I'm not related to you by blood. I wish I was. But I'm not. My name is Alex. You will call me Mama. And I'm dating your mommy."

Mitchie, having finally changed and cleaned herself to her liking, eventually left the bathroom. She padded across the hall, stopping when Alex's voice floated from her open bedroom door. The girl was speaking quietly, and she had the feeling she wanted to hear this.

"I apologize in advance for any possible teasing you get in school," Alex said, genuinely meaning it. "I hope you never have to deal with getting picked on just because you have two moms. If I could prevent that, I would."

Mitchie inched forward in the hallway, trying to be as quiet as possible so she wouldn't ruin Alex's moment.

"I always knew you were gonna be a boy. I never told your Mommy, but I knew. I just felt it…I thought you were going to die, Sammy," Alex said, barely above a whisper. "I don't even know what I would have done if that would have happened."

Mitchie finally reached her doorway and peeked inside. Alex was looking at Samuel, who was nestled in her arms. Mitchie could see that Sam's tiny eyes were beginning to droop closed as Alex's began leaking fresh tears.

"I love you so much, baby boy," Alex said, her voice a little higher than usual. "You and your mom. I promise to always be there for you both and give you whatever you need. You can always count on me. _Always_." And with that, she pressed her lips to his impossibly soft forehead, shutting her eyes.

Alex felt the bed dip beside her, and her eyelids fluttered open quickly. She looked up to see Mitchie beside her, smiling softly. She reached up and wiped away Alex's tears.

"I love you, too," Mitchie whispered before giving Alex a soft, gentle kiss on the lips. She pulled away shortly after and rested her head on Alex's shoulder, looking down at her now-sleeping son in her lover's caring arms. Alex laid her head atop Mitchie's, also looking down at Samuel.

He truly was amazing. Such a small, tiny thing caused such big changes for both girls. After all, if it weren't for him, Mitchie never would have moved. And then she never would have met Alex. And then Alex could very well be in reform school because she never would have changed her ways.

Back in the summer at Camp Rock, Mitchie was a stupid girl. She let someone she hardly knew take advantage of her. Back then, she looked at it as a mistake. She was ashamed of it and wanted nothing more than to take it back. But now, she was glad that night happened. In her drunken stupor, she'd created a life. She thought all she'd done was mess up her own, but instead she made a new one…And ended up improving hers in the long run.

Alex shouldn't have smoked that cigarette, plain and simple. But if she had to go back and do it all over again, she would. Because that very not smooth move got her kicked out of school, thrown into homes school, and put Mitchie in her arms. Back in October, Alex Russo only cared about Alex Russo. But, the universe thought she needed a wake-up call. And that is exactly what she got.

The pair never imagined sitting like they were back when they met. But somehow, they always knew. From the moment Mitchie swung the door open to reveal a still-selfish Alex on their first day of lessons.

And none of it would be possible if it weren't for Sam. Yes, he was an accident in the sense that he wasn't planned, but he was in no way unwanted. He was welcomed into this world with open arms. He was a blessing and a gift. And at not even a week old, he'd already taught his new mothers the most important lesson of their very short lives:

Sometimes in life, we make mistakes. It's up to you to decide if they're for better or worse.

"We should put him in his crib," Mitchie said, lifting her head from Alex's shoulder and standing. Alex carefully handed over sleeping Samuel to his mother, who took him lovingly into her arms. She brought him over to his crib, placed a sweet kiss upon his forehead, and placed him in the crib carefully. She stroked his dark hair with a gentle hand before pulling a tiny blue blanket out of the corner of the crib, unfolding it, and draping it over him.

She returned to Alex, who was lying on her stomach on the bed now, facing Sam. She lay down also, mimicking her girlfriend's position.

As she watched her son sleep, a twinge of sadness passed through her. She would not be going back to Camp Rock this summer, she realized. And that actually bothered her. Yes, it was true that in a month or so she would be calling an agent at a record company about creating an album, but she still wished she could return to the summer music camp. She wanted another shot, wanted to do it right. But it was impossible. At least this year. She did have a sense, though, the she would return to Camp Rock. Maybe not this summer coming, but eventually. And possibly with Sam and Alex in tow.

She looked to her right, at Alex, who looked to her left and locked eyes with Mitchie. The pair shared a smile before joining hands and looking away again. They looked to Samuel, a sense of calm falling over them.

Yes, they knew they had a long and difficult road ahead of them. They still had many challenges to face and not all of their problems were resolved. There was still the issue of Alex not knowing the true identity of Sam's father. And then there was always the threat that Alex would get in trouble if anyone in the Wizard world found out she'd let the secret about her powers slip… Twice. But they would cross those bridges when they got to them. It wasn't going to be easy. But they would get through it, together. As a family.

Alex, Mitchie, and Sam.

_**The End.**_

* * *

**And that's it for this story. I went through mixed emotions as I typed the last words. I love this story dearly. It has helped me grow so much as a writer and will always be special to me. But, I know it is not over for good. I will be taking a short break to work on my novel and kind of get my life together, then work will start on the sequel.**

**Thank you for this amazing journey. I appreciate the support. It is my dream to get 600 REVIEWS on this. So please. I took months out of my life writing this. Can't you take just a few moments to leave a review? Anonymous are enabled.**

**Once again, thanks everyone so much. To check up with me and my writing, follow me on twitter (xxMusicxSpazzxx). **

**I love you all, and I look forward to writing for you again some time.**


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